One year after Barts Charity invested £7.6m in funding for Barts Health NHS Trust to expand its robotic surgery programme, East London hospitals are reaping the benefits.
One year after Barts Charity invested £7.6m in funding for Barts Health NHS Trust to expand its robotic surgery programme, East London hospitals are reaping the benefits.
Since the introduction of three additional robots in St Bartholomew’s Hospital, The Royal London Hospital and, for the first time, Whipps Cross Hospital:
Patients across all sites are experiencing faster recovery, reduced pain and shorter stays in the hospital.
"Robotic cardiac surgery has completely transformed how I care for my patients - offering the same life-saving outcomes as traditional sternotomy [surgical procedure that involves cutting through the breastbone] but with significantly less trauma, faster recovery, and a quicker return to normal life. It's not just a technical evolution - it's a profound human one."Dincer Aktuerk, who is Consultant Cardiothoracic Surgeon at Barts Heart Centre
With the introduction of its second robot, St Bartholomew’s Hospital became the first hospital in the south of England to offer cardiac robotic surgery to patients. The Da Vinci robot that performs the cardiac surgeries was supported through a generous gift in memory of Vahab Samadian, by his wife Dr Sima Motamen-Samadian in 2024.
We supported the training for staff to use this equipment through a generous donation from the Alamouti Family.
Last year’s funding is part of our wider investment in robotics at Barts Health.
In 2017 we awarded £5.1m to establish St Bartholomew’s Hospital and The Royal London Hospital as centres for robotic surgeries. They then started to offer robotic surgeries for thoracic, gynaecology, urology, ear nose and throat (ENT) and hepatobiliary procedures.
“What an achievement 600 additional surgeries are and great so many people will have new chances in life thanks to these robots. It’s fantastic to see technology improving efficiency in surgeries and cutting waiting lists. Thanks to Barts Charity funding, East London’s population has access to world-class surgical services – and that is playing a huge part in reducing health inequalities”Fiona Miller Smith, Chief Executive of Barts Charity
Keith is one of the many people whose lives have been changed this year, in thanks to the robotic surgery programme.
“About a year and a half ago, I started experiencing weird dizzy moments.
“Initially, I was referred to a wonderful cardiologist. He performed a series of surgeries with a stent to open the blocked artery. Unfortunately, these failed very quickly as the artery became blocked again within a matter of months.
“One artery was blocked by about 96%, and something terrible was about to happen. It was getting painful, and I was becoming dizzy and breathless all the time.
“Dincer [Aktuerk – Keyhole Heart Surgeon] recommended the da Vinci non-invasive bypass procedure on one artery and explained it thoroughly.
“The recovery period was amazing. The nursing team got me up and moving quickly after surgery, which makes sense as it’s vital to get everything back to working order.
“Within three weeks, I was doing five mile walks every day and within four weeks I was practically running the course. I’m now three months out, and I’m back to doing everything I did before, but with renewed strength.”
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