Dubai: Surgeons at Dubai Hospital have successfully performed the first operation using ‘Da Vinci Xi’ Surgical Robot on an Emirati patient suffering from enlarged kidneys. The new technology enabled surgeons to perform complex surgeries with increased precision and flexibility.
Dr Maryam Al Raisi, CEO of Dubai Hospital, said: “The robot is known as one of the most sophisticated laparoscopic surgical technologies available and will significantly help enhance comprehensive general surgery and laparoscopic surgery services provided by the hospital.”
She added that Da Vinci Xi Surgical Robot enables surgeons to perform complex surgeries with increased precision and flexibility under various disciplines such as Oncosurgery, Urology, Bariatric Surgery, Gynaecology, General Surgery, and Cardiothoracic Surgery, among others.
Successful operation
Dubai Hospital said the operation was a success and the patient will be discharged within a few days. The specialised medical team that used the Da Vinci Xi Surgical Robot at Dubai Hospital, was headed by Dr Yasser Ahmad Al Saeedi, consultant, Robotic Surgeon and head of the Urology Department.
The surgery was performed on a 22-year-old Emirati patient who was suffering from a blockage in the upper part of the ureter which made him suffer from enlarged kidneys and its complications.
Dr Al Saeedi and his team conducted a two-hour surgery, during which the obstructed part of the ureter was removed and the ureter was reconnected to the renal pelvis.
He highlighted the importance of using this advanced type of robotic system, which has articulated instruments that allow the same movement capacity as the human wrist but eliminate any tremors that maybe caused by a surgeon’s hands.
‘Extreme accuracy’
Dr Al Saeed noted the state-of-the-art surgical procedure in which the conventional laparoscopic technique is combined with high precision robotic technology ensuring minimal incision, enhanced precision and faster recovery time as well as minimal post-surgery hospitalisation.
Da Vinci Xi Surgical Robot allows a three-dimensional view and magnification of up to 10 times and offers “extreme accuracy”. It has four arms - one for imaging and three for surgery - that offer a high degree of flexibility and movement similar to that of the human hand but with more precision and increased scope for controlled movement during surgery.
Dr Al Saeedi, who is considered as the first Emirati surgeon to specialise in robotic surgery, said the robot can be used for complex kidney, prostate, ureter and pelvic surgeries.
Dr Al Saeedi holds a Bachelor of Medicine from the Royal College of Surgeons in Dublin. He is a member of the Royal College of Surgery in Glasgow and was awarded the French and European Board of Urology in 2015 and he has completed his fellowship in robotics and laparoscopic surgery from Strasbourg in France.
