Robotic surgery gets cancer patient home the same day

A prostate cancer patient who underwent major robotic surgery at the Royal United Hospital in Bath was able to go home the same day.

Eddie Harvey, 67, became only the second patient at the hospital to undergo a radical prostatectomy and not need to stay the night.

The procedure, which involves removing the entire prostate gland, along with some of the surrounding tissue, was carried out with the support the hospital’s Da Vinci surgical robot.

Ayman Ali, Consultant Urological and Robotic Surgeon, who led the surgery team, said: “This really is a fantastic achievement for the RUH and will hopefully be the start of many similar operations, which allow patients to return home the same day.”

More than 130 patients have now undergone a radical prostatectomy at the Bath hospital since the procedure was introduced at the end of 2023.

Patient Eddie said: “I arrived at hospital at 7am on the morning of the operation and was back home later that night.

“There was no pressure on me to go home that day, but I felt good and had complete trust in the surgeon who I knew wouldn’t have let me leave if he didn’t think I was ready to.”

The surgical robot is currently being used across a range of specialties at the RUH, including gynaecology oncology and colorectal.

More information can be found at www.ruh.nhs.uk.