The Operating Theatre Journal - Journal - Page 32
Record-breaking robotic surgery effort tackles
prostate cancer wait list
Surgical teams at Royal Surrey have carried out
a world record breaking number of robotically
assisted radical prostatectomies in a single
day, in a bid to treat prostate cancer patients
as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Twelve men, all with prostate cancer, were
able to undergo the same procedure on
the same day after a team of Trust experts
developed a safe but efficient way to maximise
the number of prostatectomies (surgery to
remove the prostate gland) they can perform.
Back in February the same expert team
completed nine procedures in a day, which
was a UK first and the equivalent of a week’s
worth of patients in a day.
On Saturday 20 May, five surgeons and four
theatre teams worked safely and efficiently
across three operating theatres to carry out
the record breaking number of procedures as
part of the Trust’s commitment to reducing
waiting times for cancer patients.
“No cases were rushed and the operations
themselves took the same amount of time, we
were just able to reduce the turnaround time
between each patient.”
Matthew Perry, Consultant Urological Surgeon
and Clinical Director of Urology said: “It is
testament to the fantastic team that we have
here in Guildford that we have been able to
achieve this feat. It has involved an incredible
amount of planning from many different
departments.
One of the patients who benefitted from the
high intensity theatre list was David Retter,
68, from Winchester, Hampshire. David was
diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate
cancer after visiting his GP for a test that
measures the level of prostate-specific antigen
(PSA) in the blood.
Wissam Abou Chedid, Consultant Urological
Surgeon involved in the planning of the High
Intensity Theatre list said: “Our motivation
centres solely on improving the experience
of our patients. In a single day we have
significantly reduced our waiting list and 12
men who were anxiously awaiting surgery
have received the care they need.
“The NHS has been fantastic,” said the retired
father and grandfather.
“I was expecting that I would have a long wait,
but it has all happened really quickly.
“When you hear those words that you have
cancer it is scary, but the speed that it has
been dealt with has just been incredible.
“It is exciting to be part of something out of
the ordinary.”
Royal Surrey is one of the top three Trusts in
the country in terms of the number of robotic
assisted radical prostatectomies carried out,
as well as being a national leader in the field
of robotic surgery.
The Trust carried out more than 550 pelvic
surgery operations for prostate cancer and
bladder cancer in the UK in 2022 and is one
of the best performing in the country against
nationally set targets.
The trust has three state-of-the-art da
Vinci Xi surgical systems. All three systems
have dual console technology, which allows
surgical trainees to gain hands-on experience
of robotic-assisted surgery alongside the
established surgeons.
Helena Iveson
New day theatre at Yeovil Hospital opens to patients
A brand new £5 million operating theatre has opened its
doors to patients at Yeovil Hospital on the 15th of May.
The theatre will be used for a range of day surgery procedures where
patients go home on the same day as their operation, including breast
surgery, dermatology, plastic surgery and other general surgery.
The purpose-built space has a theatre suite with recovery rooms,
reception and waiting areas, as well as office space and a dedicated
rest area for colleagues.
Miss Caroline Osborne, one of our consultant breast surgeons, said:
“We’re so pleased to open our new day theatre today, which will
mean our team of surgeons can perform many more operations at
Yeovil Hospital.
“With the day theatre located away from the main hospital building,
it will free up space in our main hospital theatres for the more
complex procedures, helping us to reduce the waiting times for
patients across Somerset who need an operation.
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“It will also mean that our surgeons will be able to continue to
operate at our very busiest times, which hasn’t always been possible,
especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“There has been a real change in the way we perform many
operations in Somerset with some specialties able to offer day
surgery, where patients can be assessed, treated and go home on the
same day as their surgery, rather than staying overnight in hospital.
We’ve had great feedback from patients on this approach.”
The £5 million funding for the new theatre is from the government’s
‘Targeted Investment Fund’ to support recovery from the COVID-19
pandemic, which was announced in September 2021.
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