New hospital robot operates on eight patients
Over the last few days, the University Hospitals of Coimbra (HUC) have carried out the first eight surgeries using a robotic system that allows procedures to be “less invasive and more precise”, it announced on Thursday.
“The system allows for minimally invasive procedures, improving surgical precision and reducing patient recovery time,” according to the chairman of the board of the Coimbra Local Health Unit (ULS), Alexandre Lourenço.
During the HUC Robotic Surgery Programme presentation, Alexandre Lourenço said that the first two surgeries using robotics were carried out on Friday in urology.
On Wednesday, two more were carried out in general surgery and, today, another three in gynaecology.
According to the president of the ULS of Coimbra, the robotic surgery programme has been “a great ambition of the institution for several years”, and the acquisition of the Da Vinci Xi system represented an investment of €2 million, plus surgical consumables for 2024 worth over €1 million.
The surgical areas covered by the robotic surgery programme are urology, general surgery, gynaecology, orthopaedics and neurosurgery.
“The Da Vinci system was put in place in May. The teams have been in training, and we’re talking about its impact on urology, general surgery, and gynaecology. On top of everything else, it’s state-of-the-art equipment with an additional learning mode, with an impact on pre- and post-graduate training,” he said.
The director of the Urology Department, Arnaldo Figueiredo, where the first two operations using this robotic surgery system took place, reported that the operations “took place without the slightest disturbance or complication”.
“They were a success” he said, highlighting the “recognised advantages” of this practice. However, he acknowledged that it is not “a revolution in the sense of changing what is the foundation of surgical practice in medical practice”.
“It’s an important development, which is very welcome and adds value, but the basics of surgical practice remain the same: a good indication for surgery, a multidisciplinary team of doctors, nurses, surgeons and anaesthetists who can make the best decisions and produce the best effects,” he stressed.
In his opinion, the key players in this surgery continue to be the surgeon, anaesthetist, nurse and others involved, who continue to determine what is done. Still, there are gains “in terms of less invasiveness and less finesse in gestures.”
The director of the General Surgery Service, Guilherme Tralhão, said that Wednesday’s three operations went without incident. Two patients were discharged today and another on Friday.
“We started with the simplest cases, as a matter of training and getting used to this new approach. The programme is bound to succeed, it’s an asset, because it’s better for patients and motivating for professionals and the institution,” he said.
She added that this added value could increase the number of patients benefiting from this approach, with advantages in areas such as rectal neoplasms, pancreatic surgery, and liver recessions.
The director of the Gynaecology Service, Fernanda Águas, pointed out the importance of the new technique in more complex surgeries, “where the robot is an asset”.
“This programme has brought a breath of fresh air to the professionals, who have all put a lot of effort into the training programme and adapting to the equipment, even though we’re talking about experienced surgeons,” she said.
By the beginning of 2025, the institution also plans to acquire a robotic arm-assisted surgery system worth €2 million.
There are also plans to acquire image navigation systems that cost another €2 million.
