Surgical robot helps record numbers of patients

A surgical robot has helped a team at Maidstone Hospital carry out a record number of gallbladder operations in a single day.

The procedure, known as a cholecystectomy, is traditionally carried out with keyhole surgery which usually allows staff to complete five operations a day.

But the surgical team completed the procedure on seven patients thanks to the robot, which was controlled by the surgeon and gave them greater precision

A Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust spokesperson said: "Being able to provide gallbladder surgery to more people, more quickly, means better care for patients, as they experience fewer bouts of inflammation and fewer visits to A&E during flare-ups."

It added that the robot allowed the surgeon to operate more comfortably, minimising fatigue and maximising the time they could spend operating.

"Complex procedures can be performed with smaller incisions, reducing damage to surrounding tissues, meaning reduced pain and blood loss, shorter hospital stays and faster recovery times," the trust said.

The trust, which has two surgical robots, said all seven patients were able to go home the same day.

Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust introduced robot-assisted surgery in October 2024.

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