Patient gives robot surgery the 'thumbs up'

The first patient to undergo pioneering robotic-assisted surgery has said he is "amazed" by the speed of his recovery.

Andy Sturrock, from Wincobank, underwent a gallbladder procedure in April this year, where surgeons were assisted by surgical robot which was funded by a £1.45m donation from Sheffield Hospitals Charity.

The 69-year-old's surgery took 40 minutes, where the robot used "superhuman movements" to make "fewer and less invasive incisions", according to the Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.

After the operation at Northern General Hospital, Sturrock was back home the same day with virtually no scarring.

Clive Kelty, one of the surgeons who carried out the operation, said: "The robot allows us to see dramatically better than the naked eye, and the instruments are more precise – they can rotate far more than the human wrist can, as well as only moving when the surgeon does.

"It means that the surgery can be increasingly precise."

The da Vinci robot is operated by surgeons seated at two separate consoles, using hand and foot controls to guide the robot's movements, aided by a 3D high-definition view of the surgical area.

Sturrock said he had been diagnosed with gallbladder disease just months prior to his operation and it had left him with no energy and weeks of pain.

"I'm fully recovered now, with all four scars completely healed and the week after the op I managed to drive my wife down to the post office, no problem."

He said if other patients were given the option of having their surgery using this system he would "thoroughly recommend it".

"I'd like to say thank you very much to everyone involved, including Sheffield Hospitals Charity. I'd give it all a thumbs up."

Sheffield Hospitals Charity's chief executive officer Beth Crackles said: "We're incredibly proud of our £1.45m gift to help bring this state-of-the-art surgical robot to Sheffield. Andy's experience shows exactly why investments like this matter.

"Seeing patients recover more quickly, with less pain and disruption to their lives, is a powerful reminder of the difference our supporters help us make every day."

Since Sturrock's surgery, the robot system has been used to treat over 30 other patients.

Hundreds more operations are planned using the new system, which "offers enhanced precision, improved outcomes and faster recovery times for patients undergoing a wide range of procedures, including cancer surgeries," the trust said.

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