Urology is a speciality which treats patients with diseases of the urinary and genital tract. These include the prostate, bladder and kidney, and conditions include cancer, stones and infections. At the Lister Hospital our operating theatres are one of a few in the country to carry out robotic surgery. The Lister is the main surgical centre for urological cancers for Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and West Essex.

The da Vinci Single Port (SP) system includes three multi-jointed instruments and a 3D HD camera. The instruments and the camera all emerge through a single arm which opens inside the stomach and offer 360 degrees of movement. The da Vinci SP system provides surgeons with robotic-assisted technology designed for deep and narrow access to tissue in the body This means our surgeons can operate precisely through a single very small incision enabling them to perform very complex procedures.

Currently this equipment is innovative, new and not used anywhere in Europe. This new piece of equipment would be added to our current robot in order to enable our patients to have very complex urology surgeries with only one tiny hole.

The da Vinci SP technology’s revolutionary design means surgeons only need to make a one-inch incision which we anticipate will lead to the following benefits for our patients: 

• Less stress and more comfort
• Less invasive procedure
• A shorter recovery time
• Smaller scars

We anticipate about 200 patients each year from Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and Essex would benefit from this amazing technology, allowing us to do the same complex operations with patients almost scarless at the end. It really will allow our local hospital to stay world leading.