600 additional surgeries thanks to funding from Barts Charity
One year on, our hospitals are seeing the benefits of a £7.6 million investment from Barts Charity to expand our robotic surgery programme.
Since the introduction of three additional robots in St Bartholomew’s Hospital, The Royal London Hospital and, for the first time, Whipps Cross Hospital:
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approximately 600 surgeries have been performed
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length of stays in hospital have been cut for patients – a cardiac bypass at St Bartholomew’s Hospital going from four days of recovery in the hospital to just one day
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90% of patients at Whipps Cross Hospital are reporting positive experiences
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surgeries are taking less time – at The Royal London Hospital, some surgeries now take up to 63 minutes less, so surgeons can do more procedures
Patients across all sites are experiencing faster recovery, reduced pain and shorter stays in the hospital.
"Robotic cardiac surgery has completely transformed how I care for my patients - offering the same life-saving outcomes as traditional sternotomy [surgical procedure that involves cutting through the breastbone] but with significantly less trauma, faster recovery, and a quicker return to normal life. It's not just a technical evolution - it's a profound human one."
Dincer Aktuerk, Consultant Cardiothoracic Surgeon at Barts Heart Centre
With the introduction of its second robot, St Bartholomew’s Hospital became the first hospital in the south of England to offer cardiac robotic surgery to patients.
Supporting the use of robots in surgery
Last year’s funding is part of the charity’s wider investment in robotics at Barts Health.
In 2017 St Bartholomew’s Hospital and The Royal London Hospital were awarded £5.1m to establish themselves as centres for robotic surgeries. They then started to offer robotic surgeries for thoracic, gynaecology, urology, ear nose and throat (ENT) and hepatobiliary procedures.
“What an achievement 600 additional surgeries are and great so many people will have new chances in life thanks to these robots. It’s fantastic to see technology improving efficiency in surgeries and cutting waiting lists. Thanks to Barts Charity funding, East London’s population has access to world-class surgical services – and that is playing a huge part in reducing health inequalities”
Fiona Miller Smith, Chief Executive of Barts Charity
Keith’s story
Keith is one of the many people whose lives have been changed this year, in thanks to the robotic surgery programme.
“About a year and a half ago, I started experiencing weird dizzy moments.
“Initially, I was referred to a wonderful cardiologist. He performed a series of surgeries with a stent to open the blocked artery. Unfortunately, these failed very quickly as the artery became blocked again within a matter of months.
“One artery was blocked by about 96%, and something terrible was about to happen . It was getting painful, and I was becoming dizzy and breathless all the time.
“Dincer [ Aktuerk – Keyhole Heart Surgeon] recommended the da Vinci non-invasive bypass procedure on one artery and explained it thoroughly.
“The recovery period was amazing. The nursing team got me up and moving quickly after surgery, which makes sense as it’s vital to get everything back to working order.
“Within three weeks, I was doing five mile walks every day and within four weeks I was practically running the course. I’m now three months out, and I’m back to doing everything I did before, but with renewed strength.”
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