CMR Surgical has announced the UK launch of its “next-generation” surgical robotic system, Versius, which has been used to successfully perform minimal access surgery (MAS) on patients within the NHS.
Piloting the technology is The Western General Hospital in Edinburgh, followed by Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Trust in Buckinghamshire, said the health service.
The new technology, which has moveable, human-like wrists and can perform 700 procedures each year, has initially been used to perform a range of colorectal surgeries, helping to treat patients with serious bowel disease or bowel cancer. The company says that unlike other robotic systems, Versius can perform minimal access procedures like keyhole surgery, meaning it could lessen the risk of infection and recovery time for patients.
The NHS also confirmed that the system’s ability to be used frequently should make it cost-effective, as it can be purchased through a Managed Service Agreement, which provides budget certainty through a fixed cost.
The step marks a “pivotal milestone” for Versius as it “continues to demonstrate unprecedented value to patients, surgeons and the NHS,” commented Mark Slack, chief medical officer at CMR Surgical. “We set out to design a system that was versatile, portable and cost-effective, and it is immensely rewarding to see it now being used in the NHS – one of the most thorough and clinically rigorous health systems in the world.
“We are intent on ensuring the responsible introduction of this technology, and the skilled expertise and focus on innovative research at these NHS sites make them the ideal place for this technology. Our focus now will be on working with the surgical community across the UK to provide the option of minimal access surgery to everyone who may benefit.”
The robot consists of three independent arms, which replicate those of a human in size and shape, coupled with 3D visualisation and unique instrument controls that allow the surgeon to mimic their own human movement, enabling precise surgeries while also making long procedures less strenuous.
