PANCREATIC SURGERY WITH THE SINGLE PORT ROBOT: THE FIRST CASE WORLDWIDE AT NIGUARDA HOSPITAL
MINIMALLY INIVASIVE TECHNIQUE ALLOWING SURGERY THROUGH A SINGLE 3 CM INCISION ENABLES MORE PRECISION AND FASTER RECOVERY TIMES
Robotic surgery is expanding into new areas of use with increasingly promising advantages. In Niguarda, the world’s first pancreatic surgery was performed using a state-of-the-art robotic system that allows surgery through a single 3 cm incision (single port).
The surgery was conducted for the resectioning of the pancreatic tail combined with removal of the spleen for an oncological disease in an 85-year-old patient. “The operation was successful and after a few days in the hospital we were able to discharge the patient – explains Giovanni Ferrari, Director of General Oncological and Minimally Invasive Surgery – This is the first example of the world-wide use of the single-port robot for pancreatic surgery, and we hope that the case will also be an impulse for the development of other robot-assisted procedures in the same anatomical district, which remains one of the most delicate to operate on”.
Until now, robotic surgery has been structured by using different access points from which the robot’s surgical arms can pass through, such as the optical viewer and the instruments of the assistants at the surgical table. The new system, on the other hand, has a single arm that brings all the necessary instruments into the surgical area. We have therefore moved from the 4-7 incisions normally required, to a single incision. All this has a major impact on reducing surgical stress even compared to the traditional robotic system. Recovery times are reduced and post-operative pain is mitigated. As a result, patients can be discharged more quickly and return to their daily activities sooner.
The minimally invasive nature of the procedure is also combined with a number of advantages typical of robotic surgery, which are becoming increasingly perfected in the latest generation systems. “The robot, in fact, makes it possible to operate with greater precision, being able to have a vision of the surgery area enlarged by 10 times compared to the vision of the human eye”, Ferrari points out. Added to this, is a three-dimensional vision that allows the surgeon to move easily on several planes. In addition, the movements and rotations of the instruments, mounted on the arm of the robot, ensure better definition of the surgical phases with greater preservation of the anatomical structures of the patient and reduced risks of bleeding.
At Niguarda, the team led by Giovanni Ferrari has performed more than 1,000 robotic procedures (multi-port and single-port) since 2022. “Ninety-five per cent of the cases are cancer patients. We strongly believe in the use of this type of surgery, which has also led us to train abroad, in countries where the use of robots is more widespread. We recently went to Japan to better train ourselves as surgeons in the use of these new technologies”.
References: Press Release – Niguarda Hospital
General Hospital Niguarda offers a comprehensive range of medical services for both adults and children. The hospital employs a fully-integrated medical approach that covers all medical disciplines and technologies, from diagnosis to rehabilitation, thus ensuring the highest standards of care, even in the most complex or emergency situations. His team of highly skilled physicians, scientists, and nursing staff work collaboratively to provide the best possible treatment and outcomes.
The Niguarda Renovation Project, which started in 2007 and concluded in early 2014, established an innovative healthcare system that prioritised patient-centric care and optimised efficiency for intense care.
LEARN MORE
As a General Hospital, Niguarda hosts all the disciplines for adults and children. All medical disciplines and technologies, from diagnosis to rehabilitation, are integrated aiming at serving the best care even in situations of emergency or high complexity. Physicians, scientists and nurse staff have skills to work together.
Niguarda Hospital’s exceptional standards have been recognized and honored this year by Newsweek, an American magazine that annually evaluates and publishes a list of the world’s best hospitals, assessing over 2,300 facilities in 28 countries. The hospital is currently the highest ranked public hospital in Italy and the second highest when private healthcare facilities are taken into account.
There are only 13 Italian hospitals in the world’s top 250. And thanks to its commitment, research activity, the latest technology and the contribution of its 5,000 professionals, Niguarda Hospital has climbed to 60th place on the “Best Hospital 2023” list.
The Newsweek’s ranking of the Niguarda General Hospital
Here are the specialities for which Niguarda Hospital has been ranked among the best specialized hospitals in the world:
– Obstetrics and Gynaecology: 16th in the world, 2nd in Italy
– Gastroenterology: 39th in the world, 3rd in Italy
– Oncology: 49th in the world, 5th in Italy
– Neurosurgery: 67th in the world, 3rd in Italy
– Cardiology: 68th in the world, 6th in Italy
– Neurology: 78th in the world, 5th in Italy
– Urology: 114th in the world, 6th in Italy
– Cardiac surgery: 145th in the world, 10th in Italy
– Endocrinology: 148th in the world, 9th in Italy
– Paediatrics: 201st in the world, 8th in Italy
