Meet The da Vinci X Robot That Performs Surgery

Pinderfields Hospital in Wakefield, in the West Yorkshire area of England, has added a new colleague to its staff in the operating theaters. Now patients being operated on may not have a human holding the blade. The da Vinci X Robot can make extremely accurate incisions and perfectly stitch up wounds.

It does not work alone however and is always guided and watched by a qualified surgeon. What it has done it expand the surgical departments capacity for keyhole specialist surgery for complex and life-threatening conditions.

The da Vinci X Robot Will Be Used For Cancer Patients

Pioneered by the Mid Yorkshire Hospital’s Urology team, the robot will initially be used for patients with cancer. It will be concentrating on prostate, bladder and kidney cancers, with a view to rapidly rolling this technique out to other surgical specialties. The trust’s colorectal team will also be going online with the robot in 2019.

Mo Dooldeniya, the consultant urologist has said that in reality, the robot is actually just a glorified bit of kit. He said, “It doesn’t do the operation alone, it’s still the surgeon in control. The reason we have bought it is it has improved optics and is more precise.”

He commented that humans who are trained staff would command it and that its main advantage over them is that it is more accurate. It has a steadier hand and better vision when working on the inside of a body.

He also said, “The new robotic system means in the long-term, it will save time and allow us to see more patients on our theatre lists than we currently do, reducing overall waiting times for patients and ensuring a high-quality patient experience.”

The Mid Yorkshire Hospital Trust says that this new robot will allow them to perform more complex operations with a few small incisions and less likelihood of complications. It should also mean there will be less blood loss, a lower risk of infection and faster recovery times resulting in shorter stays in the hospital.

Even More Surgical Robots

Of course, the da Vinci X Robot is not the only one being used in the medical profession, there are several others across the world being used in operating theaters. It all comes down to the same advantages as discussed above – accuracy and perfection leading to shorter operating times and quicker recovery meaning more patients can be treated.

Surgical robot systems enable the surgeon to use computer and software technology to control and move instruments with precision. The high cost of the systems is the only stumbling block at the moment, but more and more hospitals are adopting them as in the long run, they could save them money.