The first robot-assisted surgery at Tunbridge Wells Hospital took place on Friday 4 April as more patients at Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust (MTW) benefit from the latest technology.

The surgical team at the hospital performed a right hemicolectomy (removal of the right side of the colon), led by Mr Daniel Lawes, Consultant Colorectal Surgeon and Chief of Service for the Surgery Division, using the da Vinci Xi robot.

The Trust took delivery of its first robot at Maidstone Hospital in September, and thanks to the hard work of staff across the organisation, the surgical team progressed to full theatre schedules using the robot faster than any other hospital in the UK and Ireland has done over the past five years and have already treated over 150 patients.

Just days after this new robot was delivered to Tunbridge Wells Hospital, patients are already benefiting as experienced surgeons began using it to support general surgery, including colorectal and bariatric (weight management) surgery. In the coming months this will also include gynaecology procedures.

Robot-assisted surgery has many benefits for patients – it is less invasive, leads to less pain after the operation, and can mean a faster recovery time.

The robot gives the surgeon greater precision as the robotic arms mimic their hand movements. This allows complex procedures to be performed with smaller incisions, reducing damage to surrounding tissues.

Mr Lawes said: “The arrival of robot-assisted surgery at Tunbridge Wells Hospital means we can continue providing the very best training and development opportunities to our staff and to future surgeons. The success of this project has involved teams across the organisation and the expansion of the programme to Tunbridge Wells Hospital means many more patients are benefiting from the very latest technology.”