The first regional robotic surgical skills training course for Yorkshire’s surgeons of the future took place at Bradford Teaching Hospitals recently.
Led by Consultant Colorectal and General Surgeon, Pete Webster, who joined the Trust in June 2023, the inaugural ‘Basic Skills in Robotic Surgery Course’ was designed for general surgery trainees with little or no robotic experience.
Robotic or robot-assisted surgery allows doctors to perform many types of complex procedures with more precision, flexibility and control than is possible with traditional procedures.
Most often, a robotic surgery system includes a camera arm and mechanical arms with surgical instruments attached. The surgeon controls the arms while seated at a control centre or ‘console’, near the operating table, The robot provides a magnified, high-definition, 3D view of the surgical site.
Training took place in the Bradford Royal Infirmary’s Nucleus Theatres where trainees used the Trust’s two Da Vinci Xi Robots and Da Vinci Xi Simulator, as well as a new Virtual Reality Headset.
Six general surgery trainees from the Yorkshire deanery attended the February 8 event under the guidance of included Consultant Colorectal and General Surgeons, Mark Steward, Sonia Lockwood and Tabitha Gana, alongside Consultant Upper GI and General Surgeon, Ahmed El-Shaer.
Mr Webster said:
We are delighted to have delivered the first robotic training course of its kind in the region. Robotic surgery is undoubtedly the future for general surgery, but unfortunately most trainees do not have access to robot systems.
At Bradford we currently have two Da Vinci Xi systems used to perform high quality surgery on patients as well as a simulator that is used for training.
The trainees had a great day practicing basic skills including suturing, stapling and knot tying and also learnt how to assist in robotic surgery.
Intuitive, who manufacturer the Da Vinci System, sent representative, Jess Higgins, to support and provide teaching on the day-long training.
The advantages of robotic surgery over traditional surgery include smaller incisions, less blood loss, shorter hospital stays, reduced pain and discomfort, and faster recovery times. Additionally, robotic surgery allows for greater precision and accuracy and improved surgical site visualisation.
Mr Webster added:
Bradford Teaching Hospitals has a strong history for delivering high quality surgical training and this further exemplifies our ambition to be outstanding in everything that we do here at the Trust.
Robotic surgery is used for many procedures at the Trust. As well as urological (prostate, bladder, kidney) and head and neck cancer surgeries, patients are also able to undergo robotic-assisted surgery for a variety of colorectal procedures, bowel and gynaecological cancers as well as hernia repair, upper and lower GI and gynaecological surgeries.