Robot-assisted surgery started at Maidstone Hospital last year and the new service has already treated its 100th patient.
Following the arrival of the robot at Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust (MTW) in September, a team of experienced surgeons, anaesthetists and theatre staff took part in a programme of training using the system to ensure the highest level of patient care.
Thanks to the hard work of teams across the organisation, the surgical team progressed to full theatre schedules using the robot faster than any other hospital in the UK and Ireland has done over the past five years, and have already treated over 100 patients.
Robot-assisted surgery has many benefits for patients – it is less invasive, leads to less pain after the operation, and can mean a faster recovery time.
The robot gives the surgeon greater precision as the robotic arms mimic their hand movements. This allows complex procedures to be performed with smaller incisions, reducing damage to surrounding tissues.
The robot is supporting gynaecological cancer, general surgery and urology procedures, and the service is due to expand in April with the arrival of a second robot at Tunbridge Wells Hospital.
The development of the robot-assisted surgery programme secures the Trust’s position as a leading surgical centre in the region, helping attract and retain the best medical and clinical staff, and train future surgeons.
The surgical team is led by Consultant Gynaecologist and Gynaecological Oncology Surgeon, Professor Omer Devaja, alongside Mr Stephen Montalto, Mr Yasser Abdul Aal and Mr Haythem Ali, who said: “Robot-assisted surgery is transforming patient outcomes. The technology allows us to deliver treatments with greater precision, shorter recovery times and less discomfort compared to traditional methods, and we are delighted it has already helped 100 patients. We look forward to the second robot arriving at Tunbridge Wells Hospital later in the year, and being able to expand the service to benefit even more patients in future”.