Surgical teams at Frimley Park and Wexham Park Hospitals are celebrating a major milestone: the successful completion of their 5,000th robotic surgery procedure.

A special event at Wexham Park Hospital was held to mark the achievement, with a da Vinci Xi robot on display in reception and demonstrations for the public. Surgical teams, patients and staff from across the Trust also attended an evening reception to hear presentations reflecting on the programme’s development and explore the future of robotic-assisted surgery.

Frimley Health was one of the earliest adopters of robotic surgery, introducing its first da Vinci model in 2009. Since then, the Trust has invested in a total of five robotic systems across its hospitals. The technology is used in a wide range of surgical specialities, including colorectal, gynaecology, renal, upper GI (gastrointestinal) and urology surgery.

Robotic surgical systems enable surgeons to carry out complex procedures through a few tiny incisions. Compared with traditional methods, this minimally invasive approach offers a greater range of movement than surgeons can achieve with their hands alone.

The technology also gives surgeons a clearer view during procedures, allowing highly precise movements. This can help patients recover more quickly and reduce the risk of complications.

Patient, John Andrews, 91 from Maidenhead came to the event at Wexham Park to see the robot that was used to remove cancer from his colon three months ago.
John said:

It was remarkable, I was up and out of bed the day after my surgery. I had half of my colon removed, it was major surgery, but because it was a robotic procedure the recovery time was incredibly quick and I was back to normal within a few days.

 

Robot 5000 Patient John Andrews with his surgeon Alex Cope.jpg
Robot 5000 patient John Andrews with his surgeon Alex Cope

The Government’s 10 Year Health Plan for England commits the NHS to making robotic-assisted surgery standard for a wider range of procedures over the next decade. NHS England’s national ambition is for 9 in 10 keyhole surgeries to be robot-assisted within 10 years, compared with around 1 in 5 today, making robotic surgery the default for many operations.

Alex Cope, Consultant General and Colorectal Surgeon and Robotic Surgery Lead, Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust said:

Robotic-assisted surgery can help patients recover more quickly and spend less time in hospital, with some able to go home on the day of their procedure. It can also reduce the risk of complications and help us treat more patients sooner. Looking ahead, our ambition is to invest in further robotic systems so we can increase the number of procedures we perform and extend these benefits to more patients.

Lance McCarthy, Chief Executive of Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust, said:

Reaching 5,000 robotic procedures is a fantastic achievement and a testament to the dedication and teamwork of everyone involved in our robotics journey. From anaesthetists, surgeons and theatre teams to operating department practitioners, nurses and administrative colleagues, everyone has played a vital role in helping us reach this milestone.
As one of the first trusts in the country to introduce a robotic system in 2009, we have a proud track record of embracing innovation to deliver the best possible patient care. This latest milestone builds on that work, and reflects our teams’ expertise and continued dedication to pushing forward new ways of working that improve care for our patients.