July 31st 2024.
Reece Wilton, a seven-year-old boy from Hampshire, recently underwent a groundbreaking surgery for his kidney condition. He was the first patient in the UK to have the surgery performed using the Versius Surgical Robotic System at Southampton Children's Hospital. The operation was led by renowned consultant paediatric urologist, Ewan Brownlee.
Reece's condition, pelviureteric junction obstruction, can lead to serious complications if left untreated. It affects about one in every 1,000 to 1,500 children and can result in a loss of kidney function over time. Mr. Brownlee and his team used the robotic-assisted laparoscopic pyeloplasty procedure to repair the narrowing at the junction of Reece's kidney and ureter.
According to Mr. Brownlee, the team has been working on this procedure for three years and it is a major milestone in the field of paediatric urology in the UK. The use of robotics in surgery has shown many benefits for patients, including faster healing and smaller scars. Mr. Brownlee hopes that this will lead to an increase in minimally invasive surgeries for children all across the UK.
Reece's mother, Elizabeth Wilton, shared that her son was initially nervous about the surgery, but became excited when he found out a robot would be operating on him. She expressed her gratitude towards the team at Southampton Children's Hospital and is happy that Reece is a part of this pioneering trial.
The Versius Surgical Robotic System has a 720-degree range of motion, allowing for smaller instruments to be used in complex operations on paediatric patients. Created by UK company CMR Surgical, the robot uses a unique "wrist rotation" feature which makes it easier to manipulate the instruments and results in smaller incisions.
Stephen Griffin, a consultant paediatric urologist who assisted during the surgery, believes that this development will be one of the most exciting in the field of paediatric urology in the next decade. Paul Grundy, the chief medical officer at UHS, expressed his pride in being a part of this research and hopes that it will pave the way for future advancements.
Co-founder and chief medical officer at CMR Surgical, Mark Slack, shared his delight in beginning the world's first paediatric trial using the Versius system in the UK. He believes that the small and modular design of the system will allow for more robotic-assisted surgeries to be performed on children in the future.
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