Milestone for robotic assisted surgery in Fife

The region began using it in August 2021 across a range of surgical specialties, including colorectal, gynaecology and urology.

The new technology - funded by Scottish Government at a cost of around £2.2m – is already providing a range of benefits for patients. It is more precise which allows more complex procedures to be carried out quicker with improved patient outcomes.

It also allows some procedures which would have previously required open surgery to be carried laparoscopically. This helps patients recover more quickly with less scarring, reduces post-operative pain and the risk of surgical site infection, and shortens the patient’s length of hospital stay.

Conventional laparoscopic surgery can also be very physically demanding for surgeons, leading to fatigue. Robotic platforms considerably reduces this, and allows the surgeon to be seated at the robotic console while operating, minimising the potential for surgical error.

Dr Iain MacLeod, deputy medical director, said: “We are constantly looking for new and innovative way of improving patient outcomes.

“The technology still relies on the knowledge and expertise of our surgeons, and we are fortunate to have an incredibly skilled and forward-thinking surgical team here in Fife. This technology is allowing them to work with even greater precision.”

He added: “By adopting robotic-assisted surgery, this allows us not only to improve the care of individual patients, but over time will enable us to see more patients through our theatres, which is more important now than perhaps ever before.”