A health board eradicated a waiting list for prostate cancer surgery - by using robots. NHS Tayside currently has no patients waiting for a prostate cancer op, and recorded the highest number of procedures using a single robot in Scotland.
Around 400 patients have undergone robotic-assisted surgery since the technology was first introduced at the end of 2021 at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee. As well as being used in prostate cancer surgery, it has been used to perform complex procedures in colorectal, upper gastrointestinal, urology, gynaecology and ear nose and throat specialities.
Surgeons manoeuvre the arms of the robot surgeon using a control panel, with a screen and headset enabling them to view and guide the procedure with extremely precise movements. It has been shown to reduce the risk of infections and to speed up patient recovery because it is minimally invasive, meaning that patients will spend less time in hospital overall.
