Surgical technology proving its worth in Northumbria hospitals

Last year, the trust started using surgical robots at hospitals in Northumberland and North Tyneside for the very first time, investing more than £3.7 million in these exciting new services.

Since then, surgeons have completed around 100 colorectal operations and more than 500 gynaecological and upper gastrointestinal procedures using the new equipment.

Surgical robots offer some key advantages over conventional surgery and have proved to be less invasive, more consistent and precise with a lower risk for a range of procedures.

By using surgical robots, surgeons can offer much less invasive surgery to more patients, for a wider range of conditions. This means a shorter stay in hospital, with less pain and a faster recovery after their operation.

Surgeons use the 3D vision and special instruments on the surgical robot to have an even greater accuracy of dissection during operations.

Northumbria Healthcare now has two DaVinci Xi surgical robots at hospitals in North Tyneside and Cramlington.

Iain McCallum, a consultant colorectal surgeon at the trust, said: “This new equipment is really helping transform many of our services.

"Not only is it helping us see more patients in a timelier way, it is also less invasive for patients, which reduces the risk of complications, meaning people are often back on their feet much faster after their treatment.”

In a separate project, Hexham General Hospital was one of the first five hospitals in the country to get a new surgical robot as part of a medical trial into hip replacement surgery.