Ipswich Hospital cancer patients to benefit from new state-of-the-art DaVinci Xi technology

Cancer patients at a Suffolk hospital are set to benefit new state-of-the-art robotic technology.

East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust has introduced a £2.5m DaVinci Xi surgical robot at Ipswich Hospital following the success of its first machine at Colchester Hospital.

The technology allows surgeons to complete cancer operations using minimally-invasive keyhole surgery.

Patients experience less post-operative pain, less likely to develop complications such as infections, and are able to return home quicker.

The machine at Ipswich Hospital will initially be used for bowel cancer cases, but will eventually expand to gynaecological cancers once more surgeons have completed their training.

Three procedures have already been carried out by colorectal surgeon Arshad Malik following its launch at the start of September.

He said: “The robot allows surgeons to carry out complex operations using a camera and small incisions which are each less than one centimetre long. As a result, patients have less pain and recover sooner, while one of our first patients was able to return home after just 17 hours, which is amazing.

“As the robot is so precise, we are able to remove an additional layer of lymph nodes and tissues around the cancerous tissues, in turn improving patient outcomes and survival rates for colonic cancer compared to traditional surgery.

"It is also incredibly stable, which makes complex surgery easier and means the surgeon is less tired after a long operation.

“Robotic surgery is set to revolutionise surgical care within next couple of decades, and it’s fantastic that ESNEFT is at the forefront of those advances."