Following the arrival of the da Vinci Xi Surgical System, The London Clinic shares its plans to continue advancements in robotic surgery, particularly colorectal, and build a centre of excellence in robotics in the heart of London’s Harley Street.
The independent charitable hospital has now surpassed 10 successful colorectal cases on the new robot. The Xi model is the latest iteration of the da Vinci series, providing surgeons with an advanced set of instruments as well as an “intelligent” patient table, to use in performing robotic-assisted, minimally invasive surgery. The surgeon guides the robot remotely using a nearby console.
Led by Mr Manish Chand, a consultant colorectal surgeon and professor of surgery based at The London Clinic, along with his partner, consultant surgeon Mr Jim Khan, each case has delivered a variety of benefits compared to other forms of surgery, meaning better outcomes can be achieved for patients.
Speaking about the success of the recent procedures, Mr Chand said: “For a number of reasons, the uptake of robotic surgery in certain fields has been slow within the private sector. Often, the robots have been limited to the field of urology; or there has been a lack of resources and training to perform robotic surgery. However, there are a great many benefits to robotic surgery, which we are keen on sharing with our patients. Patients should know that there is often an alternative in robotics and that it may be a better choice than traditional open forms of surgery, particularly for more complex procedures.
“For each of the cases we have performed since the installation of the Xi, including complex cancers as referrals from other centres or technically challenging re-do surgery, our patients have found robotic surgery to be hugely satisfying and comfortable. They have experienced little pain post-operatively, and have been able to go home quickly and safely when compared to other forms of surgery. We are also seeing a number of international patients enquiring for these procedures and recognising the expertise based at The London Clinic across many specialties.”
L.G., a patient who undertook robotic colorectal surgery at The London Clinic, said: “During my first consultation with Mr Chand at The London Clinic, he mentioned to me the possibility of having ‘robotic surgery’, which I had never heard of. Mr Chand explained to me very clearly how robotic surgery works and the benefits of it, including that it is less invasive and that it reduces the level of pain, the scarring and the recovery time. I am glad that we decided that robotic surgery would be the most beneficial option in my case, and I could not be happier with the level of care I received.”
Building on these successes in colorectal surgery, The London Clinic is set to further expand its robotic offering into other fields of medicine.
Professor Prokar Dasgupta, a urology consultant and The London Clinic’s robotics and technology lead, said: “We have already established a world-leading programme in urology at The London Clinic, and I am thrilled that we are now extending tangibly into colorectal, the second biggest cancer. This is important progress, both for clinicians and their patients. Our aim is to continue building a centre of excellence in robotics, with the most advanced equipment that is available, in London’s leading medical district.”
The London Clinic was the first private hospital in the UK to introduce robotics in 2005 and has since built a multi-disciplinary robotic centre. With the aim of advancing healthcare for the benefit of patients and the wider healthcare community, it is the only UK private hospital with three different robots: da Vinci Xi, Navio for orthopaedics, and AquaBeam for prostate resection.
