Technology Revolutionising Women's Health

Women in South Devon are the first patients in the South West and of just a few in the country to benefit from the most advanced form of surgery, using the Da Vinci Si Robot.

The Da Vinci Si robot carried out its first gynaecological surgery cases at the end of March and now more women are lined up for a hysterectomy using the latest in robotic technology.

The £1.5m Robot, purchased by the Torbay Hospital League of Friends in 2009 works by using a collection of "arms" to operate a variety of surgical instruments which are controlled remotely - or "driven" - by the surgeon from a nearby console giving a magnified view of the operation site.

The instruments are 'wristed' so they closely mimic the 'human' range of movement and with 3d vision and magnification the robot allows the surgery to be more precise and enable the surgeon to fully control the robot and carry out complex and intricate procedures through the smallest of incisions.

Morven Leggett, Consultant Gynaecologist at Torbay Hospital, who carried out the first gynaecological procedures along with colleague Jonathan Hindley said: “It has been fantastic to carry out the first hysterectomy cases for women in the South West using this advanced and smart technology. We are one of just a few trusts in the country to be using the Da Vinci Si Robot in this way.

Mandy Burgess, from Torquay had a hysterectomy using the Robotic technology 10 days ago. She said: "My recovery has just been fantastic. I had open abdominal surgery a few years ago and you just can’t compare the recovery. When I had a previous operation I was in hospital for five days and was off work for nine weeks."

To date more than 100 cases have been carried out using Robotic Surgery with many more now planned for the future.