~ Gloucestershire Royal Hospital has become the first NHS hospital to start with an upper GI programme with CMR Surgical’s next generation surgical robot, and will soon commence a multi-specialty programme including colorectal surgery
~ For the first time the Trust’s upper GI patients are now benefiting from next-generation robotic technology with Versius
~ Gloucestershire Royal Hospital has become the first NHS hospital to start with an upper GI programme with CMR Surgical’s next generation surgical robot, and will soon commence a multi-specialty programme including colorectal surgery
~ For the first time the Trust’s upper GI patients are now benefiting from next-generation robotic technology with Versius
CMR Surgical (CMR) – a global surgical robotics business – today announced it has extended its NHS footprint as Gloucestershire Royal Hospital has become the latest hospital to adopt Versius. The programme has started with upper GI and will soon be a multi-specialty programme as surgeons across colorectal surgery are trained on the innovative system.
Gloucestershire Royal Hospital, part of Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust which runs Gloucestershire Royal and Cheltenham General Hospitals, adopted Versius in order to build on its centre of excellence vision. Versius will support the hospital’s commitment to driving high quality care, allowing many more patients to benefit from minimally invasive surgery which results in less pain, shorter hospital stays and shorter recovery times than traditional open surgery.i
The upper GI programme has already shown significant value for the hospital as surgeons were able to successfully perform the UK’s first nissen fundoplication – a laparoscopic procedure performed for patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease – as well as a hiatus hernia repair with Versius.
Simon Higgs, Consultant General and Upper GI Surgeon at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital, said: “It was important for us to bring in Versius to the hospital so that patients having both routine surgeries like cholecystectomies as well as more complex procedures could benefit from the precision and accuracy that robotic surgery brings. Upper GI is an extremely busy department and adopting Versius signifies a new era for the specialty as many more patients will receive minimal access surgery and be treated with this high-quality technology.”
Mark Vipond, General Surgeon at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital, adds: “Versius brings multiple benefits for the Trust and we are delighted to be working with CMR Surgical on this programme. One of the key reasons Versius was so appealing to us was the small, modular design meaning that it can easily be transported to different departments so that it is being utilised as much as possible, bringing maximum value to the hospital and its patients. We’re looking forward to building on the fantastic start within upper GI and seeing additional specialties across the hospital benefit from the system.”
Versius is now established as a valuable surgical tool in a number of hospitals across Europe, India, Australia and the Middle East, where it is helping surgeons perform a wide range of procedures.
Mark Slack, Chief Medical Officer at CMR Surgical, said: “It is great to be able to introduce Versius to the Gloucestershire Royal Hospital. In designing Versius our goal was to provide a versatile and cost-effective surgical robotic system that could transform the field of minimal access surgery – allowing more patients to benefit than currently do. This multi-specialty programme with Gloucestershire Royal will do exactly that and we’re delighted to be partnering with them on this exciting new era for the hospital.”
This announcement comes at an exciting time for CMR Surgical as it has recently announced it has raised $600 million (£425 million) in a Series D financing where the company will use the funds to bring Versius to more hospitals across the UK and existing markets, as well as entering new markets.
ENDS
About Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Gloucestershire Hospitals is one of the largest hospital trusts in England serving a diverse population of more than 650,000 people. We provide acute hospital services from two large district general hospitals, Cheltenham General Hospital and Gloucestershire Royal Hospital. Maternity Services are also provided at Stroud Maternity Hospital.
Gloucestershire Hospitals has an annual operating income of £613 million, has 960 beds, has more than 150,000 emergency attendances and 800,000 outpatient appointments each year. The Trust employs around 8,000 people, providing care for the population of Gloucestershire and beyond.
The Trust has set out a compelling vision to establish centres of excellence across specialist services on each of its hospital sites. Cheltenham General Hospital would be developed as a thriving centre of excellence for world class treatment, specialising in innovative, effective and efficient planned care.
Meanwhile on the Gloucestershire Royal site the Trust wants to create a centre of excellence delivering emergency care. Both thriving hospitals would have their own strong identities and benefit from the very best expertise and facilities to reduce the risk to patients and maximise chances of survival and good recovery.
The Versius® Surgical Robotic System
Versius® resets expectations of robotic surgery. Versius fits into virtually any operating room set-up and integrates seamlessly into existing workflows, increasing the likelihood of robotic minimal access surgery (MAS). The small, portable and modular design of Versius allows the surgeon to only use the number of arms needed for a given procedure.
Biomimicking the human arm, Versius gives surgeons the choice of optimised port placement alongside the dexterity and accuracy of small fully-wristed instruments. With 3D HD vision, easy-to adopt instrument control and a choice of ergonomic working positions, the open surgeon console has the potential to reduce stress and fatigue and allows for clear communication with the surgical team. By thinking laparoscopically and operating robotically with Versius, patients, surgeons and healthcare professionals can all benefit from the value that robotic MAS brings.
But it’s more than just a robot. Versius captures meaningful data with its wider digital ecosystem to support a surgeon’s continuous learning. Through the Versius Connect app, Versius Trainer and CMR clinical registry, Versius unleashes a wealth of insights to ultimately improve surgical care.
About CMR Surgical Limited
CMR Surgical (CMR) is a global medical devices company dedicated to transforming surgery with Versius®, a next-generation surgical robot.
Headquartered in Cambridge, United Kingdom, CMR is committed to working with surgeons, surgical teams and hospital partners, to provide an optimal tool to make robotic minimal access surgery universally accessible and affordable. With Versius, we are on a mission to redefine the surgical robotics market with practical, innovative technology and data that can improve surgical care.
Founded in 2014, CMR Surgical is private limited company backed by an international shareholder base.
References
i McWilliams, Andrew. (2009, March). The Market for Minimally Invasive Medical Devices. BCC Research, p.14