Olympic medalists kick off annual Night to Remember charity walk
Kingston Hospital’s surgical team welcomed its first state of the art surgical robot on Friday 22 March, purchased thanks to the generosity of local resident and philanthropist Dame Marit Mohn, who funded the robotic system via Kingston Hospital Charity.
Made up of three parts, the da Vinci Xi robot comprises: the patient cart (robot) which houses the camera and four instrument arms that the surgeon uses to perform surgery; the surgeon console which the surgeon sits at to control the instruments, while viewing the patient’s anatomy on a highly magnified high-definition (HD) 3D screen; and the vision cart or hub which includes a large HD screen that shows a live feed of the surgical procedure to those in theatre.
The surgical robot will initially be used for urology, colorectal and gynaecology surgery with the potential to expand into other surgical specialities in the future.
It promises to enable greater accuracy during procedures, with patient benefits including less invasive surgery and faster recovery times. Robotic-assisted surgery can also allow more patients to be treated, with shorter lengths of stay in hospital.
The surgical team, who have already started their induction programme, led by robotic-assisted surgery pioneers Intuitive, aim to operate on their first patient at the beginning of May.
Chief of Surgery and Planned Care at Kingston Hospital, Mr Sarb Sandhu, said:
“The arrival of the robot will enable us to provide world-class surgical care to our local patients. Acquiring this innovative technology would not have been possible without Dame Marit’s extraordinary generosity. The surgical team are excited that the Da Vinci has now arrived and we are looking forward to seeing the benefits it will bring to our patients.”
Philanthropist, Dame Marit Mohn, said:
“As a longtime resident of Kingston, I am delighted to be able to support the introduction of surgical robotics at our local hospital. The purchase of a Da Vinci Xi system will improve the treatment and care available for local people by utilising the latest technology.”
The arrival of the robot is a key element of Kingston Hospital’s clinical strategy and enables it to join the 30% of NHS trusts nationally, who already have one.