Kent surgeons become fastest in UK to master latest robot-assisted surgery

Surgeons at a hospital trust in Kent have become the fastest in the UK to master the use of the latest robot-assisted surgery.

Teams at Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust (MTW) first received a da Vinci Xi robot in September 2024, with a second arriving less than a year later.

They soon got to grips with the technology, progressing to full theatre schedules for gynaecological cancer, general surgery and urology.

The speed at which they managed to do so was the quickest of any hospital in the UK and Ireland over the past seven years.

They've since gone on to conduct over 1,000 operations using the robots.

Surgeons operate the robot via a separate console, which precisely mimics their hand movements.

The technology allows complex procedures to be performed with smaller incisions, reducing damage to surrounding tissues.

Daniel Lawes, Consultant Colorectal Surgeon at MTW, praised the robots, saying they've allowed the trust to "provide the very best training and development opportunities to our staff and to future surgeons".

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