New cancer surgery robot unveiled at Bradford Royal Infirmary
Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust pioneered robotic urological surgery in Yorkshire with the advent of its first robot in 2012, which has now been officially retired.
Consultant Urological Surgeon and the Trust’s Cancer Lead, Raj Singh, explained: "The new machine will be used for carrying out minimally invasive operations on patients with urology, bladder, kidney, and head and neck cancers.
"The da Vinci robot greatly enhances our precision as surgeons as it gives us better vision, increased control and a better working environment during the operation.
"Compared to a conventional keyhole procedures or open surgery, the da Vinci robot offers patients many potential advantages as its precision provides more accurate surgery, leads to less bleeding and fewer complications.
"It also provides other benefits including less pain, a shorter hospital stay and a swifter recovery period. The da Vinci robot acts as an extension of the surgeon’s hands and fingers in miniature and enables advanced keyhole procedures which help eliminate potential human problems such as hand tremor.
"Surgeons can control the device’s arms with immense precision during minimally invasive operations when surgery is taking place within a confined space where pinpoint accuracy is needed."
Since the hospital took delivery of its first revolutionary £2 million da Vinci robot, partly funded by a generous £200,000 donation from the Sovereign Health Charitable Trust, surgeons have conducted more than 2,100 procedures on patients’ bladders, prostrates, kidney and head and neck.
