More than 10,000 patients across Scotland have benefitted from da Vinci robotic-assisted surgery (RAS) since 2021, according to the latest figures from NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.

The Scottish Government has invested in twelve of the robotic operating facilities since 2021 – more than tripling the number of da Vinci surgical systems in the country – with some of these systems in place at both the Glasgow Royal Infirmary (GRI) and Queen Elizabeth University Hospital.

According to the NHS, the primary aim for these systems was to improve access for gynaecology and colorectal patients, clinical specialities that have among the highest rates of open surgery in Scotland, however the systems have also supported established programmes including in urology, thoracic, and head and neck surgery.

Last year, NHS Fife announced that over 500 patients had been treated using robotic-assisted surgery, with Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy the first District General Hospital in Scotland to adopt RAS following £2.2 million in funding from the Scottish Government.

In Glasgow, that earlier milestone was hit in 2023, with the team at the GRI, which includes seven surgeons trained to use the da Vinci systems, performing 500 successful surgeries within two years. 

Around £20 million has been invested into surgical robots by the Scottish Government in the last few years, with the systems being used primarily for cancer treatment, including urological, colorectal, and gynaecological operations.

Professor Campbell Roxburgh, consultant colorectal surgeon at the University of Glasgow and GRI, said: “Thanks to the Scottish Government’s continued investment in this cutting edge technology and its ongoing implementation across the nation, we are now realising what we set out to achieve through the expansion.

“We have vastly reduced rates of open surgery and we have improved equity of access to robotic-assisted surgery and its associated outcomes for patients. To reach this significant national milestone is testament to that.”

Using these robots, surgeons have total control of the system’s movements, allowing them to benefit from enhanced visualisation, dexterity, precision, and ergonomics to perform minimally invasive surgery, resulting in quicker recovery times, fewer complications, and a reduced chance of readmission. 

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Improved access to da Vinci RAS has been helping to support national healthcare ambitions, forming a key component of the Scottish Cancer Action Plan for 2023-2026. 

Scottish health secretary Neil Gray said: “These surgical robots have transformed the experience of surgery for a number of patients across NHS Scotland, as well as easing the pressure on surgeons, with procedures that are less physically demanding to carry out.

“Crucially, by providing more opportunities for surgeons to carry out robotic-assisted procedures we can attract a broader pool of surgeons to work here, helping us build a stronger NHS Scotland for the future.”