ONCOLOGY
PIONEERING ROBOTIC SURGERY TECHNIQUES Charles Evans, one of a specialist team of colorectal surgeons at King Edward VII’s Hospital, explains how sophisticated robotic equipment is leading to less-invasive surgery and improved survival rates
Firstly, what are the advantages of using robots for colorectal surgery? At King Edward VII’s Hospital, we use the DaVinci Xi robot – the very latest robotic surgical system approved for colorectal surgery. The benefit of this robot is that it expands surgeons’ capabilities of performing minimally invasive surgery in even the most complex of cases. The system provides enhanced surgeon vision combined with control of articulating instruments to perform intricate movements within a combined space. Specifically the Xi robot has novel overhead architecture with slimmer robotic arms that come out from a boom, with increased instrument reach and integrated technology to address some of the limitations from earlier models.
Its versatility enables a wide range of colorectal procedures to be performed, from complex surgery across the entire abdomen to meticulous dissection within the pelvis As a result, our patients are given precision, minimally invasive surgery that leads to faster recovery times and reduces the risk of complications in the post-operative period.
What sort of conditions can be treated using this kind of robotic surgery, and what impact does it have on patient outcomes? We can perform any sort of colorectal operation in the abdomen or in the pelvis robotically, but we predominantly see the technology used for treating bowel cancer (cancer of the colon and rectum). We also use the DaVinci Xi robot to treat
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