Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital (NNUH) is at the forefront of this transformation with robotic-assisted surgery. It has since grown to become the largest provider of multi-specialty robotic surgery at one site in the East of England. Nick Samiotis, 54, of Norfolk, has marveled recently at a medical technology breakthrough. He received his treatment — including an oesophagectomy — using this pioneering technique.
Samiotis was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer shortly before his 55th birthday in August 2025. He went through chemotherapy to shrink the tumor and decided on robotic surgery. Surgeon Nicholas Penney completed the procedure in roughly 12 hours. Thanks to this minimally invasive technique, Samiotis was able to go home after only a few days, compared to a much longer stay following conventional open surgery.
I feel quite amazing… as soon as I’ve finished here, I’m off to take the dog for a walk!” Samiotis expressed just nine days post-operation. He noted that had he chosen open surgery, he would have faced a hospital stay of three weeks and a significantly longer recovery period. Today he has no visible scars from surgery, aside from 15 small keyhole scars. This is a remarkable difference compared to the very large incisions typical of traditional surgical approaches.
Surgeon Nicholas Penney highlighted the benefits of this innovative approach: “It’s a lot less trauma to the body so your recovery period is much reduced,” he stated. Each of the Da Vinci robots employed at NNUH has two separate arms that navigate surgical instruments with incredible precision. Penney controls the robot with a 3D console in the corner of the operating room. This clever arrangement allows for repeatable and repeatable “miniaturised” motions of great accuracy and precision.
Prior to expanding its robotic offerings, 25% of all oesophagectomies done at NNUH were robotic. Social media helped transform the hospital’s robotic surgery program after £2.8 million was donated to the Norfolk and Norwich Hospitals Charity.
According to Hennessy The surgical team were incredible people…you’ve got to be optimistic. He’s a battler, Samiotis’s daughter commented on her father’s experience. She talked about the sense of relief and optimism she has felt since her father’s health has turned around. “I remember talking to the nurse and they told me that three years ago this surgery wouldn’t even have happened,” she added. As Samiotis himself put it, that’s what I would—and, more importantly, I think, what my future cancer-free self—tell my younger self not to worry about.
James Hernon, associate clinical director at NNUH, echoed this sentiment, stating that robotic-assisted surgery is “fast becoming the future of surgical practice.” Through the hospital’s innovative use of advanced technology, patients are able to experience expedited recovery times and decreased complication rates.
Each surgical instrument we attach to the robot costs in the region of £200. It has a short shelf life of ten uses, exemplifying the investment in technology and the commitment to patient care that characterizes NNUH’s surgical program.