1 week Ago
UNIVERSITY Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire (UHCW) NHS Trust has taken-delivery of £2million robotic surgery system which will be used to perform life-saving operations on hundreds more cancer patients every year. It is the largest single donation made by the UHCW Charity to the trust through legacy donations – allowing them to purchase the Da Vinci Xi Robot – one of the most modern and advanced of its kind. This is the third robot bought using charitable funds and it will boost the number of robotic procedures at University Hospital Coventry by more than 440 to around 1,300-a-year.
Robotic surgery is significantly less invasive and more precise compared with conventional operations. Patients benefit from less post-operative pain, lower blood loss, shorter stays in hospital and better outcomes, recovering at home in just a few days to weeks. Patient Joe Argue, who has undergone two successful robotic surgeries at the University Hospital, described the technique as ‘game changing’.
His fundraising has generated more than £1million, with £70,000 donated to the UHCW Charity towards robotic equipment and medical causes from his Birmingham Irish Cycle Appeal (BICA) team through sponsored bike rides across the world. He said: “I cannot speak highly enough of robotic surgery. “Just five weeks after being diagnosed, I had the operation and when I was up on the ward for recovery, I asked the nurse if I had actually had anything done because there were no aches or pains at all.
“It was remarkable. “The recovery time was so short – three months later I was back on my bike. “The two rides we have done since to help raise funds have both been more than 500 miles and I have completed them both (on a manual bike) – so that is a testimony to how good the recovery can be.
” Jo O’Sullivan, director of UHCW Charity, said: “The fact the UHCW Charity has made its largest ever donation – almost £2 million – shows just how vital this equipment is and the far-reaching benefits it will bring. “We thank every one of our donors for making such a positive impact for our patients. “Without them, none of this would be possible.
” Over the past 12 years, surgeons at the trust have carried out more than 5,000 robotic surgical procedures on patients with a range of cancers including prostate, kidney, bladder, colon and rectum, gyaecology, head and neck, HPB (pancreas, liver, bile duct and duodenum), thoracic (heart and lung) and upper gastrointestinal tract (oesophagus and stomach). Jawad Ahmad, consultant hepatobilary and pancreatic surgeon at UHCW NHS Trust said: “As well as being minimally invasive, robotic surgery patients will also benefit from earlier access to post-operative treatments like radiotherapy and chemotherapy, minimal scarring and fewer interoperative and post-operative complications. “Thousands of cancer patients have benefited from successful surgery, “We are very pleased to have this third robot available to expand the types of surgery we can offer to our patients, as well as improving training opportunities for more junior doctor staff.
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