Streatham boy undergoes robotic surgery in first for London hospitals
A seven-year-old boy has become the first child in London to undergo an operation using a surgical robotic system, which surgeons describe as “revolutionary”.
Rufus Quinn, from Streatham, had a robotic assisted pyeloplasty, a procedure to correct a blockage between the kidney and the bladder, at the Evelina Children’s Hospital in Westminster Bridge Road, Lambeth.
The condition affects around one in 1,500 children and if not treated by surgery, can cause pain and increase the risk of infection and deterioration of kidney function.
Rufus’ mother, Jenny Quinn, said: “Although Rufus was initially nervous about the surgery, he was mainly very excited.
“He wants to be a scientist when he grows up and he liked the idea of his surgeon using a futuristic robot to carry out his operation.
“The doctors at Evelina London have been brilliant and we cannot sing their praises enough.”
The surgery went smoothly and Rufus was able to recover quickly.
Mrs Quinn said: “He was able to return to school after a few days and is now even back to playing on his ice hockey team for Streatham again”.
The surgery was performed using the Versius Surgical Robotic System, which has flexible, modular arms that allow surgeons to carry out operations which are less invasive. The increased precision can also help to support faster recovery times for patients.
Rufus’ procedure was led by consultant paediatric urologist Pankaj Mishra, who sat in the same room and controlled the Versius robotic system through an open console with a screen.
The robotic system has four modular arms that are designed to mimic human joints and have a 710-degree range of motion.
Each arm operates a miniaturised surgical instrument with another arm controlling a 3D camera that allows the surgeon to see inside the patient.
The system translates any movements made by the surgeon on the open console into smaller, more precise motions in the robot’s miniature tools.
Mr Mishra said: “This robotic system has the potential to revolutionise the way we carry out complex surgeries in children.
“This type of system is much less tiring for the surgeon involved, which means that difficult surgeries can become a lot easier.
“Versius has the potential to allow us to do more complex operations in a shorter period of time.”
While the technology is regularly used in adult surgeries, Rufus was part of an NHS clinical trial to assess the use of robotic surgeries on children.
Other NHS sites taking part in the trial are Southampton Children’s Hospital and Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust.
The trial will initially use Versius to undertake a range of procedures in 150 paediatric patients across the UK, before assessing its potential use for a wider range of conditions.
Dr Lance Tooke, clinical director for Children’s Surgery, Theatres and Anaesthesia at Evelina London said: “We are delighted to participate in this initial trial and hope this will open up new possibilities for using robotic systems in paediatric surgery.”
Pictured top: Rufus Quinn outside Evelina London (Picture: Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust)