Robot-assisted surgery set to transform England's operating rooms by 2035

England's National Health Service (NHS) is significantly expanding the use of robotic-assisted surgery, aiming for robots to be involved in nine out of every 10 keyhole procedures by 2035 as part of a broader effort to improve patient outcomes and reduce pressure on hospitals.

The initiative is already taking shape at St Bartholomew's Hospital in London, where surgeons are using the latest da Vinci 5 robotic-assisted surgical system to perform complex operations with greater precision, Euronews writes. 

After completing a delicate lung tumour removal using the new technology, consultant thoracic surgeon Dr Sasha Stamenković described the challenges of the procedure.

"We've done some very, very intricate operating today," said the 60-year-old surgeon. "We've saved a lot of lung, we've gone around some really, really small vessels and really small airways."

The operation was observed by surgeons from another NHS hospital preparing to introduce the same system later this year as robotic surgery expands across England.

During the two-hour procedure, Stamenković controlled robotic instruments from a console several metres away from the patient while communicating with the operating team through a microphone. Three robotic arms carried out the surgeon's movements with high precision, while a fourth arm provided a detailed three-dimensional view of the surgical field.

As director of robotic surgery and research at Barts Health NHS Trust, Stamenković also oversees specialist training programmes designed to prepare what he describes as the "surgeon of the future."

The UK government has identified robotic surgery as one of five major priorities in its 10-year health strategy, setting a target for robotic assistance to be used in 90% of keyhole surgeries by 2035.

Keyhole, or laparoscopic, surgery involves operating through several small incisions instead of one large opening. The approach typically results in less pain, reduced scarring and faster recovery compared with traditional open surgery.

Robotic systems are now being used in a growing range of medical specialties, including thoracic, abdominal, colorectal, urological and gynaecological procedures.

Despite the advanced technology, Stamenković believes robotic systems allow surgeons to regain the dexterity once associated with traditional open surgery.

"Robotic surgery has brought you back to what surgeons wanted to do, which was to have an art form able to create something with their hands," he said.

The greater flexibility of the robotic instruments allows surgeons to work more precisely within confined spaces, helping reduce complications such as air leaks following lung surgery and potentially shortening hospital stays.

That benefit has already been experienced by 76-year-old retired detective Ian Macleod, who became the first NHS patient to undergo robotic lung cancer surgery using the new da Vinci 5 system.

Although he only learned shortly before the operation that he would be the first patient to receive the procedure, Macleod said the news "didn't faze" him.

He was walking again just 30 minutes after returning to the ward.

The recovery was "extraordinary," said Macleod.

Having previously undergone conventional keyhole surgery for another cancer, he said his earlier recovery had been "much longer." This time, he left hospital with a single stitch and was driving his wife to a garden centre for coffee less than a week later.

While the NHS sees robotic surgery as a way to improve care and reduce waiting lists by speeding up patient recovery, challenges remain.

The Royal College of Surgeons of England has criticised what it describes as a "postcode lottery" in access to robotic surgery and warned that the absence of a consistent national funding model has forced some hospitals to rely on charitable donations to purchase the expensive equipment.

Stamenković argues that investment in technology must be matched by investment in education.

"We need to embed robotics into training programmes," he said.

Young surgeons in training who are not yet consultants are often "more adept" at using the technology, he added.

"All we need to do is harness their energy, their passion, their skill set and teach them the right moves."

By Sabina Mammadli