World-renowned Royal Papworth Hospital set to be first in UK to use Versius for thoracic surgery

CMR Surgical (CMR) – the global surgical robotics company – announces that Royal Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, one of the world’s leading cardiothoracic hospitals and the UK’s main heart and lung transplant centre, has introduced the Versius^® Surgical Robotic System, and is set to become the first hospital in the UK to use Versius for thoracic procedures.

Versius is suited to assisting surgeons overcome the challenges posed by operating with a minimally invasive approach in the lungs, thymus, and oesophagus. Through small incisions between the patients’ ribs, thoracic surgeons can work precisely and accurately in the chest cavity with Versius, benefitting from its small, fully wristed instruments and 3D HD vision. Moreover, the uniquely small and modular design of Versius allows the system to be set up in a way that gives the surgeon optimal access through the rib cage.

Tim Glenn, Chief Finance Officer and Deputy Chief Executive at Royal Papworth commented: “Our vision is to provide tomorrow’s treatment to today’s patients, and purchasing this Versius robot does just that, representing a significant investment in patient care. We are delighted to be working with our Cambridge neighbours at CMR Surgical.”

Mr Adam Peryt, Consultant Thoracic Surgeon at Royal Papworth said: “Thoracic surgeons have long been waiting for a surgical robot like Versius that is suited to our specific needs. Of course, we want all the benefits you’d expect of robotic-assisted surgery, but we also needed a system that allows us to continue using small instruments and ports that we can place exactly where is needed given the limitations of operating through the ribcage. Versius gives us this. I’m truly excited to see first-hand the benefits that Versius can bring to our patients.”

Mark Slack, Chief Medical Officer and Co-Founder of CMR Surgical said: “We are delighted to be partnering with the world-class surgeons and surgical teams at Royal Papworth as the first to use Versius in thoracic surgery in the UK. Versius was designed to make the benefits of minimal access surgery available to more patients around the world, and we’re thrilled that thoracic patients in the UK will now be able to access to this type of treatment. Versius is well-suited to thoracic surgery, as the modular small form factor means that it can be set up in a way that allows optimal access through the rib cage, and the small fully-wristed instruments can work precisely in the thoracic cavity. We look forward to working with Royal Papworth on bringing the benefits of this technology to as many patients as possible.”

Royal Papworth’s team of highly skilled surgeons and surgical teams will now undergo CMR’s data-led metrics-based training programme for Versius. The pathway focuses on surgeons and the wider surgical team achieving key competencies at each stage of the pathway to ensure standardisation in surgical skills, and includes in-person training, remote tele-mentoring and using virtual reality technology.

The first cases with Versius at Royal Papworth are due to start in spring 2023.