A gynaecological surgical team at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust have successfully completed over 100 robotic-assisted hysterectomies.
Robotic-assisted surgery enables surgeons to make fewer and less invasive incisions, reducing pain, scarring, postoperative complications and shortening recovery time.
It works via a multi-arm robotic surgical system, which is controlled by the surgeon through wristed instruments, offering greater precision than the human hand can do alone.
The team passed the 100th-milestone on the 4th June, performing two hysterectomies on the same day.
100th patient Naomi Gibson, 33, from Mexborough, has suffered with debilitating endometriosis since her mid-teens.
She said the condition has left her in "constant pain" and unable to do the things she loved as a young girl such as running. It has also forced her out of jobs due to the amount of leave she's had to take, affecting her self-esteem. Despite numerous treatments her endometriosis has persisted. Following the birth of her second daughter, she decided to have a hysterectomy and was referred to the Sheffield team for a robotic-assisted hysterectomy.
She said:
"The recovery has been amazing. Endometriosis has severely interfered with my life and affected my self-esteem. I'm now planning on doing fun things with my children. I have more energy and I'm not having to spend my entire day in bed with the pain and bleeding and having to worry about extra pads and dressings. I want to enjoy life. My five tiny scars are extremely neat, the incisions are so symmetrical and they are healing nicely. The team have been fantastic. I can't thank everyone enough."
Advancing care
Mr Karim Abdallah, Consultant Gynaecologist at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: "We are immensely proud to have reached this surgical milestone. Many of our patients have been able to return home on the same day as their surgery, improving convenience and supporting patients to recover in their own homes whilst also freeing up hospital beds for the benefit of other patients.
"Our focus now is on further expansion, including training more senior and junior doctors in robotic surgery so that we can offer this advanced treatment to even more patients. The programme has also attracted praise from professional organisations and industry leaders, and Sheffield has become a destination for visits from internationally recognised experts in robotic surgery who wish to see first-hand the success of our approach. We are proud of what has been achieved so far and excited about the opportunities ahead for women's healthcare in Sheffield."
The Royal Hallamshire Hospital's da Vinci X surgical robot was purchased following a major donation to Sheffield Hospitals Charity in 2019.
Beth Crackles, Chief Executive Officer, Sheffield Hospitals Charity, said: "We are really pleased to hear that more than 100 patients have received care for gynaecological procedures thanks to the da Vinci robot and the surgical teams at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital. Together with the newest surgical robot at the Northern General Hospital, this highlights the ongoing impact of our charitable donations on patients' lives in the region."
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