Forth Valley Royal Hospital robotic surgery success is ‘tip of iceberg’ for Scotland

It follows a series of robotic breakthroughs across Scotland in recent times. Forth Valley Royal Hospital's move towards RAS has been made possible by a £2.5 million funding boost from the Scottish Government, clearing the way for enhanced delivery of complex surgeries.

Specialised surgeries set to benefit include colorectal, gynaecology and urology services, including cancer care, following the installation of a new da Vinci Xi dual-console robotic system.

Forth Valley Royal Hospital initially focused on shorter, simpler procedures like hernia repairs, before transitioning to more complex procedures such as bowel resections, where cancerous sections and nearby lymph nodes are removed and the healthy ends reconnected

Following positive patient feedback, the hospital plans to introduce additional colorectal, gynaecological and urology procedures over the coming months, as well as training additional surgeons.

NHS Forth Valley’s Associate Medical Director for Women, Children and Sexual Health, Dr Julie Christie, said the introduction of RAS technology had “gone really well” and was now “enabling staff to deliver high-quality complex surgery closer to home, improve outcomes for patients and further enhance their clinical skills and experience”.

Healthcare innovation leader InnoScot Health believes it’s a significant step forward in Scotland’s ambitions to provide faster, more effective surgery.

Executive Chair, Graham Watson said: “It is pleasing to see NHS Forth Valley joining the RAS revolution happening across Scotland with a dozen health boards now realising its huge benefits, from shorter operating times, reduced blood loss, and a lower risk of complications, to less post-operative pain, shorter hospital stays, and faster recovery times.

“RAS represents nothing less than a pioneering path to the future of healthcare with its heightened, precision and magnified 3D vision of the surgical field, all directed by surgeons’ expertise.”

Forth Valley Royal Hospital is aiming to carry out around 200 of the specialist procedures during the first year, 350 in year two, and around 400 in year three.

Graham added: “As NHS Forth Valley ambitions indicate, the direction of travel is clear, transforming patient outcomes, easing waiting list pressures, enhancing equity of access, and eventually RAS will become the standard for many Scottish operations.”