Royal Stoke University Hospital has made headlines by becoming the first facility in England to implement the “Magic Leap” surgical system. With this groundbreaking technology, surgeons can see clear, detailed 3D images of a patient’s spine during operations. This improvement increases accuracy and streamlines a patient’s journey enhancing patient experience. With this system, we will directly reach and benefit more than 1,000 patients per year. The hospital is preparing to be able to offer a range of more complicated procedures, starting with emergency and cardiology surgeries.
The “Magic Leap” system incorporates custom-built virtual reality goggles, which offer a one-of-a-kind viewpoint during the procedure. Royal Stoke has ambitions to be a national centre of excellence for robotic surgery. This advancement is an important step in that direction. The use of the strong regional project collaborative with University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust (UHNM) features heavily in the project. This collaboration combines experience and capabilities to ensure the best patient care.
Royal Stoke’s expansion is expected to free up around 5,000 bed days per year. This kind of efficiency is exactly what the National Health Service (NHS) is dreaming big enough to imagine right now. The NHS wants to be performing half a million joint replacements a year with this trailblazing approach by 2035. This fiscal year alone, the system has already deployed to support over 70,000 missions. This achievement paves an exciting pathway toward broader adoption.
In addition to the “Magic Leap” system, Royal Stoke has plans to deploy other technology as well. This incredible innovation will enable surgeons to experience tissue resistance in real time. This will completely transform the precision and execution of surgical interventions. The hospital goes all-in on robotics. It predicts that in 10 years, 90% of all major keyhole surgery will be performed with robot assistance, making these techniques the norm for many procedures.
Consultant colorectal surgeon Philip Varghese who is closely involved with this visionary and pioneering project at UHNM. He emphasized the importance of this expansion:
“This expansion significantly strengthens our ability to deliver robotic surgery across a wider range of complex procedures.” – Philip Varghese
The goal of the hospital’s initiative is to improve surgical outcomes. It aims to bring world-class care, a specialty in which UAB has a national reputation, closer to home for patients throughout the region. Coates, a spokesperson for the foundation involved in the project, stated:
“Supporting projects that make a lasting difference to local communities remains a core focus of the foundation.” – Coates
Coates further added:
“This investment will allow more patients across the region to benefit from world-leading surgical care closer to home.” – Coates