Nick Lees says he thought marks on his skin were caused by his golf bag.
But doctors found he had a rare type of skin cancer and removed the growths.
Medics at The Royal Marsden then used the robot, which mimics human movement on a tiny scale, to repair the wounds.
Surgeons at The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust are using an innovative robotic microsurgery system, funded by The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity which will support advancements in minimally invasive cancer surgery.
The Symani Surgical System is a teleoperated robotic platform designed for microsurgery, a highly specialised technique where surgeons repair tiny anatomical structures such as blood or lymphatic vessels, or nerves.
This restores blood flow or enables the redirection of fluid, for example with lymphoedema.
After cancer resection, microsurgical reconstruction plays an essential part in restoring both function and appearance. It enables reliable wound healing and helps patients regain their quality of life by reconstructing tissues and structures that were removed during cancer treatment.
Symani will allow surgeons at The Royal Marsden to operate with increased precision on tiny vessels – usually less than one millimetre in diameter – using the world’s smallest wristed robotic instruments. It enables them to replicate the natural movements of the human hand at the micro scale, and reach difficult-to-access anatomy to reconnect delicate vessels.
Picture: Aadil Khan and Kieran Power with the the Symani® Surgical System by MMI (Medical Microinstruments Inc.)
