London Bridge Hospital, part of leading private healthcare provider HCA Healthcare UK, is the first provider in the UK - and among the first hospitals in Europe - to offer an advanced robotic-assisted method to thoracic patients using the da Vinci SP (Single Port) system, making complex surgery possible through a single 5cm incision.
The novel surgical approach, led by renowned Consultant Thoracic Surgeon Mr Tom Routledge allows patients – typically those living with lung cancer - to quickly return to daily life with minimal discomfort.
The da Vinci SP surgical system, developed by Intuitive, was made available to patients in the UK for the first time through London Bridge Hospital in March 2024, for urological conditions with Consultant Urological surgeons Mr Ben Challacombe, Professor Chris Eden Mr Declan Cahill and Mr Rajesh Nair. Since then, the team at London Bridge Hospital have performed over 300 procedures with the da Vinci SP system.
The da Vinci SP system includes three, multi-jointed, wristed instruments and a fully wristed three-dimensional (3D), high-definition (HD) camera. The instruments and the camera all emerge through an extremely flexible single cannula which enters through a single incision or natural orifice.
By further reducing the post-operative discomfort of creating surgical wounds, and by enabling some patients to benefit from robotic-assisted surgery for whom it otherwise may not have been suitable (for example, those with lots of scar tissue from previous operations, or those who are unable to have multiple incisions), surgery using the da Vinci SP system has the potential to be transformative for patients.
Mr Routledge and his team underwent extensive training, including simulation and lab work, supervised by world-leading experts from South Korea (Professor Hyun Koo Kim) and New York (Dr Michael Zervos).
Mr Tom Routledge, Consultant Thoracic Surgeon at London Bridge Hospital (part of HCA UK), commented: “The da Vinci SP (Single Port) system is a step forward in thoracic surgery, providing patients with an enhanced alternative option. It enables complex precision surgery through a single 5cm incision, typically made in the abdomen or chest.
“It is a technically challenging approach, but it offers significant benefits. Patients can experience less pain, have shorter hospital stays, and can return to their normal lives more quickly than with traditional surgeries.
“This development builds on our existing robotic thoracic programme, which is already the largest independent programme in the UK. We are proud to be among the first in Europe to offer this option, reflecting our depth and breadth of experience in robotic thoracic surgery.”
The da Vinci SP system joins HCA UK’s fleet of 8 da Vinci Xi surgical systems, including a system in The Harborne Hospital, the first of its kind to be used in the region’s independent sector.
Over 16,000 robotic-assisted procedures have taken place across HCA UK’s network of leading hospitals in the past nine years, the most in both number and variety in the independent sector.
Find out more about HCA Healthcare UK’s robotic surgery offer here: https://www.hcahealthcare.co.uk/about-hca-uk/robotics-and-technology-at-hca
