By George Palmer-Soady
A Nottinghamshire woman who is one of the first people in the UK to undergo knee surgery assisted by a new type of robot says the ground-breaking technology helped change her life.
Spire Nottingham Hospital, in Tollerton, began using the VELYS robot system to assist with knee operations on April 24.
Since then, the private hospital says 69 people have undergone surgery using the new technology – designed to help make the operations more digitally precise and efficient.
Angela Collison, 66, from Keyworth, was one of the first people to receive the robot-assisted surgery in the UK.
“Before the surgery I couldn’t walk properly, I couldn’t run,” she told Notts TV.
“My bones were grinding together and I got told I had arthritis, and that the surgery needed doing.”
Upon being told about the robot-assisted surgery, Ms Collison says she was “a bit surprised,” it was available but took up the offer.
“I wasn’t expecting it, but I’m all for it – anything new, I’ll try it.
“Now I’m back to working, walking, driving – things have been brilliant.
“Things are back to normal, my friends are impressed. I’m back to getting on with life again.”
Spire Hospital has been performing the procedure for private patients, but also carrying out the surgery for free NHS patients. Two robots – called Rusty and Trevor by staff – assist with the procedure by guiding a surgeon to direct a robotic arm to make more precise cuts.
Spire Hospital says the technology is designed to improve efficiency and does not replace staff or reduce the number of people involved in a procedure.
Ms Collison’s surgery was performed by Reshid Berber, an Orthopaedic Consultant at the hospital who has worked as a hip and knee surgeon for five years.
He says patients are excited by the technology and many have signed up for the robotic surgery since.
“Traditionally we’ve always performed knee replacement surgery using guides which help us make our cuts,” he said.
“This is offering us a more precise way to make those cuts – it has more of a natural feel to the knee replacement itself.
“I think patients are very excited by the technology – I’ve now performed over 35 knee replacements and all of them have gone well so far.”
Sophie Mulligan, who was Theatre Manager for Ms Collison’s operation, described the robotic technology as “really positive”.
Now Interim Deputy Director of Clinical Services at Spire Nottingham, she said: “It’s been in the pipeline for a while – we’ve done lots of training and research.
“On the actual day it happened, there was a buzz about the department. It’s pioneering in surgery.
“We’re leading that pathway for it – and I think others will follow suit.”
Robot-assisted surgery is not new in the UK, but it is most commonly used in prostate-related procedures.
Joint and knee replacement has also been carried out by robot-assisted procedures before, but Spire Hospital is the first in the UK to use the VELYS system.