Hospital showcases urology surgery robot

Local health bosses including GPs, commissioners; Leader of Blackburn with Darwen Council, Councillor Mohammed Khan and Deputy Mayor, Councillor Husain Akhtar, attended an open evening at the Royal Blackburn Hospital recently to see East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust’s newly acquired Urology Robot in action.

Patients requiring surgery for prostate cancer at East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust are benefiting from improved cancer outcomes thanks to this robotic assisted surgery now fully underway at the Royal Blackburn Hospital.

The Urology Department at the Trust – led by Clinical Director Mr Shahid Islam and Consultant Urological Surgeons Mr Mohan Pillai and Mr Mohammed Masaarane – commissioned the installation of the ‘Da Vinci Robot’ to carry out prostatectomies (removal of the prostate gland), a first for the Trust and the only Da Vinci robot used for urological surgery in Lancashire.

The robot has brought with it huge clinical benefits for patients with improved cancer outcomes as it gives the surgeon the opportunity to remove the prostate gland with a high degree of precision. This more precise cancer removal results in less pain, a shorter recovery period and hospital stay as the surgery is far less invasive; less requirement for radiotherapy; improved long term outcomes for continence and potency and a quicker return to normal activities.

Robotic assisted surgical techniques for the treatment of prostate cancer is becoming more common under NHS England commissioning arrangements with 48% of all prostatectomy procedures last year performed using robotic assisted approaches. The robot will initially be used within urology cancer surgery but also has the ability to work within gynaecology, colorectal and hepatobiliary surgery.

The first prostatectomy took place at the hospital in June 2015 and to date, 32 procedures have been carried successfully carried out.

Councillor Khan said:

I was delighted to attend the open evening to meet the robotic surgery team and see the ‘Da Vinci robot’ in action. This is a huge advance in prostate cancer treatment with a clear advantage for patients. It will also provide the surgeons, who already do such amazing work, with extra state-of-the-art assistance.