A major milestone has been reached at the Royal United Hospitals Bath, with more than 1,000 patients now benefiting from robotic-assisted surgery since the programme launched in 2023 thanks to RUHX supporters.
The achievement marks a significant moment for both the RUH and RUHX, whose supporters helped fund the first of two Intuitive da Vinci surgical robots now transforming patient care across Bath and the surrounding region.
Since introducing robotic surgery in 2023, the RUH has completed more than 1,070 procedures across a range of specialties, helping patients benefit from minimally invasive surgery, with shorter hospital stays and faster recovery times.
The robotic surgery programme has supported patients requiring treatment in:
- General Surgery – 430 cases*
- Urology – 365 cases
- Gynaecological Oncology – 275 cases
* General surgery procedures have included bowel cancer surgery, benign bowel resections, pelvic floor surgery, hernia repairs and cholecystectomy procedures.
Life-changing care for patients
One patient who has benefited from robotic surgery is Alison (Ali – pictured below), whose minimally invasive procedure helped her return to normal life more quickly. Ali said:
“I’d want to give all the donors who helped robotic surgery come to the RUH a big hug and say thanks. And I’d say to anyone needing robotic surgery – embrace it, as my experience was one of feeling back to fine in a very short space of time.”
The advanced technology enables highly skilled surgical teams to perform complex procedures with increased precision, helping improve outcomes and patient experience.
A thousand individual stories
Reflecting on the milestone, Consultant Colorectal and Robotic Surgeon Marc Bullock said:
“When we started this, it was one patient, one operation, one very long day in theatre working out how everything moved. To have gone from that to a thousand people who’ve had their surgery this way feels less like a number and more like a thousand individual stories — people who went home sooner, got back to their families quicker, got back to work, got back to walking the dog, to normal life. That’s what the milestone means to me: not the number itself, but everything it represents.”
You can hear more from Marc on RUHX’s new video podcast ‘A Little Bit Xtra’, to watch it just click here
To celebrate the achievement, a demonstration surgical robot is visiting the RUH on 5th November, giving staff, patients and visitors the opportunity to see the technology up close and learn more about how robotic surgery is improving patient care. Click here to register to attend Please select the afternoon DROP IN session from 1.30-3.30pm
Thank you to our supporters
The success of the robotic surgery programme has only been possible thanks to the generosity of RUHX supporters, whose fundraising helped bring this pioneering technology to Bath.
Today, the da Vinci Xi surgical system continues to help surgical teams deliver advanced treatment while improving outcomes and experiences for patients across the region, ensuring more people can benefit from the latest innovations in healthcare close to home.
New Robot
Building on this incredible success, the Trust is also expanding its regional capability. To further extend the positive impacts of robotic surgery, the da Vinci Robotic Technology is now at Sulis Hospital Bath, which is part of the RUH Trust. This expansion will widen access to the positive impacts of minimally invasive surgery across communities in Bath and beyond.
To read more click here.
