The São João Local Health Unit has acquired a second surgical robot this week and estimates that it will be able to perform around 1,700 robotic surgeries next year with the two devices, the unit announced on Wednesday.
The investment in the second surgical robot, made under the Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP), was around €2.3 million (including VAT).
In response to the Lusa news agency, São João said it estimates performing around 700 surgeries with the new robot and around 1,000 with the robot purchased with its own funds in 2023.
“Surgical activity at São João has grown steadily over recent years. The introduction of technological innovation to accompany the differentiation in care provision that characterises the institution is essential to maintain this dynamic in surgical activity. This strategy allows us to maintain the high response capacity in the surgical area that characterises the institution,” reads a summary of this investment sent to Lusa.
With the first surgical robot, São João performed around 950 surgeries, mostly urological, oesophageal-gastric, colorectal, hepatobiliary-pancreatic and gynaecological oncological surgeries.
According to São João, the acquisition of this second robotic system will allow robotic surgery to be extended to other specialities such as thoracic, cardiac, obesity, paediatric surgery and senology (breast pathology).
“This acquisition reinforces the healthcare capacity of São João, forming part of the strategy to renew and modernise its technological facilities, raising the standards of quality, safety and efficiency of the care provided, improving surgical response capacity and contributing to better health outcomes,” added the source.
Pointing out that “minimally invasive surgery using robotic surgery has already proven to be an approach with numerous advantages from the surgeon’s point of view, as well as from the patient’s point of view,” São João pointed out that “for the former, the robot allows for greater ergonomic comfort with less fatigue, which translates into the quality of the surgery performed, greater precision of movements, and the elimination of the surgeon’s physiological tremor.”
This involves the use of a stable camera platform, high-definition three-dimensional imaging, flexible instruments that allow a wide range of movements, and access to complex anatomical areas with better visualisation of the anatomy and surgical plans.
“This allows tumour tissue to be removed more radically and, therefore, improves patient survival. In addition to this advantage for the patient, there is evidence of faster post-operative recovery, with less pain, less intraoperative bleeding and less need for blood transfusions, shorter hospital stays and less need for re-interventions,” he adds.
São João also noted that the growth of robotic surgery at the institution “will increase the modernisation of surgical activity and minimise the risk of error associated with any surgical intervention.”
“Given that the institution is a national reference centre for the treatment of cancer, the knowledge and differentiation applied to robotic surgery will also make it possible to train new surgeons with high skills in these areas,” it concluded.