Advancing Medical Robotics

More than 250 surgeons & engineers gathered at the annual Hamlyn Symposium last week to try their hand at the latest developments in medical robotics.

Surgeons from across the globe assembled to listen to talks, attend workshops and to take part in demos and simulations of the various robots being developed today.

Robotic surgery has undergone rapid advancements in recent years.  In 2009 around 205,000 robot-assisted procedures were performed worldwide.  The Hamlyn Symposium aims to be a key driver in raising awareness of this new technology in the hope of increasing this number and looking at medical robotics as an alternative to the more invasive open surgery.

“The main advantage of robotic surgery is that it allows surgeons to operate through infinitely smaller incisions, resulting in significantly less pain, scarring and recovery time for patients.  There is also less risk of infection, less blood loss and fewer transfusions which helps the patient get back on their feet to return to their daily activities” said Professor Guang-Zhong Yang, Director of the Hamlyn Centre which forms part of the Institute of Global Health Innovation at Imperial College London.

A speaker line-up of leading scientists and engineers in collaborative robotics, navigation and image guidance presented their research and provided insights into the new developments within their field.  The keynote was delivered by Gary Guthart of Intuitive Surgical, who gave an overview of the daVinci System, a sophisticated robotic platform designed to expand the surgeon’s capabilities and offer a minimally invasive option for major surgery.  Other invited speakers included Professor Robert Howe of Harvard University and Reiza Rayman of Titan Medical Inc.  This year’s annual Karl Storz-Harold Hopkins lecture was on robotics in bariatric surgery and was delivered by Professor Ferdinand Köckerling of VivantesKlinikum  Spandau.

“The Hamlyn Symposium provided an excellent platform to showcase the cutting-edge developments in robotic surgery that can help reshape the future of healthcare worldwide.  It provided the participant with key insights and thought-provoking discussion, which sparked debate and instigated collaboration and partnerships,” said Lord Ara Darzi, Head of the Division of Surgery and Director of the Institute of Global Health Innovation at Imperial.

Prof Lord Darzi and Prof Yang with Mike Perks from Karl Storz Endoscopy Ltd and speaker Professor Ferdinand Köckerling

More information on the Hamlyn Centre and its research can be found here