Prostate cancer breakthrough hailed
Updated on 30 June 2009
Doctors are hailing a breakthrough in the fight against prostate cancer after a British patient was successfully treated for the illness by a pioneering surgical robot.
Jeremy Lineham, 48, from Chichester, West Sussex, is the first sufferer in Europe to be operated on for prostate cancer using the £2 million da Vinci Si gadget.
Specialists who carried out the radical prostatectomy at Guy's Hospital, south east London, said the new technology afforded better dexterity for the treatment.
Declan Murphy, consultant urologist for Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, said: "Jeremy's operation was a great success and we were impressed with the enhanced performance of the new da Vinci robot.
"The quality of the vision is unmatched and the opportunities for training are exciting. We are planning to update to this version in the next few months so our patients can benefit from the best technology available.
"Its dexterity and range of motion is far greater than the human hand, so the surgery is much more precise, and the new version used in Jeremy's operation has even more advanced technology than before.
"The 3D high-definition vision on this version massively enhances our view of the anatomy, and with dual-consoles, two surgeons could operate it simultaneously. This will allow us to train colleagues in a way not previously possible."
The urology department at the hospital has used the state-of-the-art technology robotic for more than five years.
Mr Lineham, who was diagnosed with prostate cancer in March this year, underwent a radical prostatectomy which removes the entire prostate gland and surrounding tissue.
Using the technology, the complex operation is done through a tiny incision rather than the traditional larger cuts, so patients recover quicker and spend less time in hospital.
These news feeds are provided by an independent third party and Channel 4 is not responsible or liable to you for the same.
