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The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK)’s Faculty of Medicine (CU Medicine) recently conducted a clinical trial introducing a cutting-edge modular robotic system in the field of surgical urology. As part of this trial, the surgical team successfully performed robotic radical prostatectomy procedures ten times at the Prince of Wales Hospital. This marked a significant milestone as it was the inaugural implementation of this innovative surgical system in the Greater China region. The preliminary trials demonstrated favourable results and outcomes.
The surgical team from CU Medicine performed the first robotic surgery in Hong Kong in 2005 at the Prince of Wales Hospital. Since that time, robotic surgery has progressively spread throughout many hospitals and is now the norm for many operations, including radical prostatectomy and partial nephrectomy.
The existing all-in-one system does, however, have some inherent drawbacks, such as the robotic arms’ predetermined configuration and the fact that it is not transportable enough to be moved between operating rooms. To get around some of these restrictions, numerous innovative robotic systems have been created.
Four robotic arms, each in its own separate cart to enable transportation and placement, and an open console system that permits other staff to watch a 3-D intraoperative view are among the novel features of the new modular robotic system.
The Clinical Associate Professor (honorary), Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, CU Medicine stated that it is challenging to use the current multiport and single-port robotic systems in various operating rooms in accordance with the clinical requirements of various surgical teams because they are bulkier and more constrained by operating room size.
With movable robotic arms that can be moved between operating rooms and the revolutionary modular robotic system’s ability to deploy various robotic arms for various surgical procedures, accessibility is increased. Because operating rooms and resources are better organized, the new modular robotic system and the current conventional robotic system can cooperate to reduce the time patients must wait for surgery.
The CU Medicine team initially intends to treat patients with prostate cancer and kidney cancer using the innovative method. Ten robotic radical prostatectomy cases have been completed successfully using the new robotic technology. A radical prostatectomy is a procedure used to treat men with locally advanced prostate cancer. It involves the removal of the entire prostate gland as well as possible nearby lymph nodes.
The postoperative continence rate was quite high, with half of the patients not needing to use any pads at one month following surgery. No significant problems were noted. The research team compared the preliminary findings to information on earlier multiport and single-port robotic systems, and the findings were satisfactory.
Tzu Leung Ho Professor of Urology, Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, CU Medicine stated that in addition to improving accessibility, the team found that the new robotic system had the advantage of being simple enough for any surgeon with solid robotic surgery experience to adopt, negating any negative effects that a learning curve might have on patient outcomes. Training and demonstration in the operating room can also benefit from the open console system with a 3D intraoperative view.
To encourage the new robotic system’s consumable use, Shun Hing Education and Charity Fund supported the initial experiments. To evaluate the capabilities of the system, the CU Medicine team plans to carry out additional trials using other techniques.
The innovative modular robotic system introduced by CUHK Medicine has demonstrated favourable results in treating prostate and kidney cancer patients, increasing accessibility, and reducing patient wait times. With its transportable and customisable features, the new system is expected to revolutionize surgical procedures in the Greater China region and beyond.