A Scottish health board has now completed over 5,000 operations using robotic-assisted surgery – with an 83-year-old Renfrewshire man one of the latest to benefit from the continued rollout of the technology.
William Gillespie, 83, from Elderslie, had a bowel tumour removed by a clinical team using the da Vinci Xi surgical system after it was recently introduced at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley.
He was one of the first patients to be treated with the tech at the hospital, with dedicated systems already in place across NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde – at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH) and Glasgow Royal Infirmary (GRI).
Mr Gillespie said: “I was really pleased to be able to have my operation here at the RAH, which is my local hospital. It made a big difference not having to travel further afield.
“It also helped my family, as it was much easier for them to get in to see me and support me while I was in hospital. The surgery itself was very straightforward from my point of view, and I’ve felt the benefit of it being less invasive, getting out of hospital much sooner than if it was an open procedure and with less complications.
“Knowing that they can do this kind of procedure with smaller incisions and a quicker recovery is very reassuring.”
Professor Susan Moug, consultant surgeon at the RAH, said the introduction of robotic-assisted surgery at the hospital marked a major step forward for local services.
She said: “Having a robotic-assisted surgical system at the RAH for the first time is transformational for patients in our local communities.
“It allows us to provide high-quality, minimally invasive surgery closer to home, reducing the need for patients to travel while continuing to improve outcomes and recovery times.”
The expansion of the ‘minimally invasive’ tech has been supported by investment in a new dual console da Vinci Xi system at the QEUH, which has doubled colorectal cancer surgery capacity there and allowed an existing system to be transferred to the RAH.
This followed a donation of £800,000 from a former patient and his wife, who wish to remain anonymous, and a further £400,000 contributed by the Beatson Cancer Charity.