Robots are now operating on NHS patients and are hailed as a 'leap forward'

Robots are now operating on NHS patients and have been hailed as a ‘leap forward’ and will offer more keyhole surgeries.

The UK is the first in Europe to use the robot, called Versius, having already performed 30 operations at in Edinburgh in five months.

Versius has three arms that move like a human which are manoeuvred by a doctor using a remote control device attached to a monitor.

It means doctors can work for longer with less fatigue, as Versius can be operated sitting down.

The tool is used to perform a wide range of delicate procedures via keyhole surgery, such as hernia repairs. It can also be used for patients with serious bowel cancer.

Keyhole surgery has a number of benefits such as the reduced risk of infection and pain than open surgery. Patients are able to go home quicker, freeing beds in wards.

Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Trust in Buckinghamshire is the first in England to use Versius, working ‘exactly’ how medics intended it to.

Robots are now operating on NHS patients and have been hailed as a ‘leap forward’ in precision for keyhole surgery. Pictured, Versius operated at Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Trust in Buckinghamshire

Each of the robot’s four arms has flexible joints and fully-rotating wrists, which are controlled by a surgeon sitting at a console with two video game-like joysticks and a 3D screen

The ‘new generation’ robotic system Versius was built by Cambridge-based start-up CMR Surgical.

Versius has three independent arms, and more can be added, which have ‘wrists’ that rotate. Surgeons can mimic their own movements using flexible joysticks in their hands connected to Versius.

They wear 3D glasses while looking at a connected monitor to have a three dimensional view of what they are working on.

It’s less strenuous for doctors than standing over a patient while working, which is physically demanding.

CMR Surgical says the development could cut the need for one additional doctor during operations, freeing up stretched NHS staff to carry out care elsewhere.

The Western General Hospital in Edinburgh, one of four hospitals in the NHS Lothian Health Board, was the first to use Versius in Europe.

Around 30 patients have been treated at NHS Lothian using the technology since November.

‘It is a leap forward in surgical precision meaning patients recover faster and ultimately get home sooner,’ said Doug Speake, consultant colorectal surgeon at NHS Lothian.

‘It is better for the patients and it is actually better for us.’

Dr Speake said his team spend ‘a number of days’ getting used to the robot, but believe it is the ‘next big revolution,’ The Telegraph reports.

Professor Joe Harrison, chief executive at Milton Keynes University Hospital, said he was ‘delighted’ the hospital was the first in England to use the technology.

‘Innovative robotic systems like Versius are set to play a vital part in delivering worldleading surgical care across the NHS.

‘Versius represents a remarkable step forward in this field and one that could help make keyhole surgery far more accessible.

‘The hope for us is that this will lead to better outcomes for patients as well as helping us to free up bed space that can then be used to help others in need.’

‘It is a leap forward in surgical precision meaning patients recover faster and ultimately get home sooner,’ said Doug Speake, consultant colorectal surgeon at NHS Lothian (a surgical team pictured)

Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Trust in Buckinghamshire is the first in England to use Versius, working ‘exactly’ how medics intended it to

Chief medical officer of CMS Surgical, who designed Versius, said it is already in talks with other NHS trusts about deploying the tool (pictured) more widely

Versius will increase the number of minimal access surgeries (MAS) – also known as keyhole or laparoscopic surgery – in the NHS.

MAS reduces rates of infections, pain and scarring, but only an estimated one third of procedures in the UK can be done this way.

It is initially being used to perform a range of colorectal surgeries, helping to treat those with serious bowel disease or bowel cancer.

CMR Surgical said the two NHS sites in England and Scotland could be used to carry out as many as 700 minimal access surgeries each year.

Chief medical officer of CMS Surgical Mark Slack told the PA news agency it is already in talks with other NHS trusts about deploying the tool more widely.

‘We will have more than a handful on the NHS by the end of the year,’ he said.

Lord Prior, NHS England chair, said: ‘It’s fantastic that the NHS is the first in Europe to use the next generation of surgical robots, and yet another example of how the NHS is teaming up with Britain’s excellent engineering sector to deliver world class care.’

WHAT IS THE SURGERY ROBOT VERSIUS? AND HOW IS IT DIFFERENT TO DA VINCI?

Versius is a robot system that carries out keyhole surgery and has been used in two NHS hospitals so far. It was developed by Cambridge scientists.

Surgeons sit at the end of the robot’s four arms, controlling the limbs’ movements via two video game-like joysticks and a 3D magnified screen.

Versius’ fully-rotating wrists give it a greater range of movement than surgeons have, with the robot also not tiring.

This is thought to reduce errors that cause patients pain and slow down their recovery times.

The US-made da Vinci Xi console is similar, but with only three arms.

Unlike da Vinci, which is 6ftx6ft and weighs a third of a tonne, Versius is around a third of its size and weight.

This makes it easier to set up and transport around different hospital rooms.

Versius’ smaller size also gives surgeons more room to work around it.

The system’s price is unknown, however, its manufacturers are aiming for it to be considerably more cost effective than da Vinci at around £2 million.

da Vinci is used in more than 70 hospitals in the UK.

Source: CMR Surgical

Professor Alastair Campbell became one of the first patients in Europe to undergo a procedure with Versius in November.

The 81-year-old had the operation in the Western General Hospital, after medical investigations identified a polyp, which could have been a sign of a very early stage of colon cancer.

Within weeks, Professor Campbell went on to have a section of his colon removed and rejoined as part of a procedure carried out using the Versius robot.

The cost of the equipment has not been revealed but CMR Surgical say it is cheaper than earlier robotic systems.

It has been made to be more cost-effective for hospitals and its portability means it can be transported between hospitals within an NHS trust.

Richard Kerr, from the Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCS), said: ‘Robotic assistance lies at the heart of future surgical techniques, and has great potential to enable more patients to benefit from “keyhole” surgery with faster recovery times.

‘However, there is a risk that the NHS is rushing ahead with robotics without a clear plan for ensuring equity of access, and quality training for the clinical teams charged with using them.

‘A national strategy for rolling out robotics, ensuring it’s clear where robots are, how they are being used, and progress against training requirements was a key recommendation of our Commission on the Future of Surgery. It is now becoming urgent.

‘While patients and professionals alike will welcome the advances being made at Milton Keynes, we want to see the Department for Health take a more hands-on approach, ensuring that amazing technology like this is available all round the country.’

Versius is the first British-made robot in the NHS, after the US-made da Vinci surgical system has been rolled out in more than 70 NHS hospitals since 2001.

Unlike da Vinci, which is around 6ft tall by 6ft wide and weighs three quarters of a tonne, Versius is approximately 2ftx2ft and around a third of the former’s weight.