Royal Stoke University Hospital will become the first hospital in the UK to bring this groundbreaking technology. This technology provides surgeons with a haptic feedback of tissue resistance during surgery. CleanOrbit/Adobe Stock This wondrous advancement signals another major milestone in the evolution of robotic surgery, giving brilliant medical professionals more capabilities to better address the needs of patients.
As a result, this transformational technology will dramatically improve the lives of more than 1,000 patients per year. It will facilitate a wealth of other intricate processes including trauma and cardiac surgeries. Royal Stoke, part of the University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust (UHNM), is on a mission. It aims to be recognised as the UK’s leading centre of excellence in robotic surgery. The NHS plans to deliver robotic support for 500,000 surgeries a year by 2035. In fact, experts believe that in the next 10 years, 90% of all keyhole surgeries will be performed with robotic assistance.
Earlier this year Royal Stoke made an equally exciting announcement. It’s recently become the country’s first hospital to employ the new “Magic Leap” surgical system. This advanced system provides surgeons with detailed three-dimensional images of a patient’s spine during operations, utilizing specially designed virtual reality goggles. This new technology increases surgical precision. It significantly increases the hospital’s capacity to do robotic surgeries on a wider variety of complex procedures.
Philip Varghese, consultant colorectal surgeon at UHNM, was excited about the new development.
“This expansion significantly strengthens our ability to deliver robotic surgery across a wider range of complex procedures.” – Philip Varghese, consultant colorectal surgeon at University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust (UHNM).
Royal Stoke anticipates the expansion of robotic surgery will save around 5,000 bed days annually. This will relieve primary care resources for more acute needs and greatly improve the patient experience. In this fiscal year 2023-24, the NHS estimates that 70,000 of those operations have already been performed with robotic assistance. These advancements are representative of a larger trend toward more widespread adoption of robotic technology into surgical procedures.
Pastor Denise Coates, a prominent advocate for healthcare access, pointed to the value of this investment to build local communities.
“This investment will allow more patients across the region to benefit from world-leading surgical care closer to home.” – Denise Coates.
Royal Stoke is taking a leading role in harnessing the power of these emerging technologies. This shameless move makes that particular hospital the UK’s leading edge in medical advances. The integration of real-time tissue resistance technology and the “Magic Leap” surgical system illustrates a commitment to enhancing surgical practices and improving patient outcomes.