The Cancer Centre at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals is just one of three in the country, and the only one in the North West, to be able to provide treatment for upper gastrointestinal cancer using this new robot. Rosemere Cancer Foundation is currently raising funds to pay for the robot, which is the most advanced in the north of England.
Sue Thompson, Chief Officer for the Rosemere Cancer Foundation said: “We need to raise a total of £750,000 to meet the next two instalments on this equipment and keep it here at the Cancer Centre for the benefit of patients across Lancashire and South Cumbria. We are asking people to visit our website at www.rosemere.org.uk and support the 20th Anniversary Appeal in any way they can.”
The robotic presentation evening took place on Friday 9th February between 7pm and 9pm at the Charters restaurant at Royal Preston Hospital. The evening included presentations from urology, colorectal and gynaecology consultants who described the procedures that they had undertaken, and the benefits of robotic surgery. We were also pleased to have some of our patients who have undergone robotic surgery with us to speak about their experiences. The robot itself was also present on the night so attendees were able to take a look at the latest cancer surgery technology, and even have a try on the machine! The new robot is already improving outcomes for cancer patients throughout Lancashire and south Cumbria, and leading to quicker recovery. The robot can bend and rotate 360 degrees, making it much easier for our surgeons to access parts of the body that are difficult to reach, and undertake complex procedures using keyhole incisions rather than open surgery, reducing the risk of complications and enabling a speedier recovery.
One of the consultants who spoke on the night was Ioannis Peristerakis, Consultant Colorectal Surgeon at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Ioannis Peristerakis, Consultant Colorectal Surgeon said: “We are extremely grateful to the Rosemere Cancer Foundation for raising funds to help us purchase the most advanced surgical robot to our hospital. Patients from throughout the region now have the opportunity to receive surgical treatments of the highest quality, using cutting edge technologies. We are delighted with the initial outcomes of robotic bowel surgery, showing significant improvement in the speed of recovery.”
Bachar Zelhof, Consultant in Urology said: “The robot allows the surgeon to have a three-dimensional view of the surgical field with greatly increased magnification using fine articulating instruments. Thanks to these robotic features, many kidney cancer cases that were previously being done as a complete kidney resection are now performed as a partial resection with kidney preservation. This allows not only complete removal of cancer but also maintaining kidney functions which helps patients to return to their daily lives with a minimum of inconvenience, despite having undergone major surgery.”
Pierre Martin-Hirsch, Consultant Gynaecological Cancer Surgeon said: “Robotic surgery brings gold standard surgery to the cancer centre and it’s already having a positive impact on our gynaecology patients.”
Tarek Salem Hany, Consultant in General Surgery said: “We are already seeing marked reduction in hospital stay thanks to the precision provided by the robot technology. It is yet another piece of absolute commitment by Lancashire Teaching Hospitals in providing the highest quality of care to patients in Lancashire and North Cumbria.”