Southampton doctors use new form of robot surgery on boy in a UK first

Seven-year-old Reece Wilton had a pioneering operation at Southampton Children’s Hospital, paving the way for a wider use of robotics in paediatric surgery across the UK.

The Gosport youngster was diagnosed with a condition that either blocks or obstructs urine flow from the kidney into the ureter.

It affects between one in 1,000 and one in 1,500 children and if left untreated can cause loss of kidney function over time.

UHS surgeon Ewan Brownlee operated the Versius robot (Image: UHS)

Consultant paediatric urologist Ewan Brownlee performed a procedure known as robotic-assisted laparoscopic pyeloplasty to correct narrowing at the junction of Reece's kidney and ureter.

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Mr Brownlee said: "This has been three years in the making so it’s really exciting for the whole paediatric urology team, and paediatric urology in the UK, that the first operation has finally taken place.

“The evidence for use of robotics in surgery shows clear benefits for patients, from quicker healing time and smaller scars to, in some cases, better overall outcomes.

“I’m hoping this is the start of seeing an increase in minimally invasive surgery for children all around the UK when this becomes more widely available.”

The urology paediatric team involved in Reece's operation (Image: UHS)

Reece’s mother, Elizabeth Wilton, added: "Reece was nervous about his operation before, but we showed him pictures and he was quite excited to know a robot was operating on him.

“We have complete faith in the team at Southampton Children’s Hospital and we are incredibly happy that Reece is benefiting from this pioneering trial.”

The new treatment enables surgeons to use instruments small enough to carry out complex operations on paediatric patients.

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Southampton Children's Hospital is part of University Hospital Southampton (UHS)

UHS consultant paediatric urologist Stephen Griffin, who assisted during the operation, said: "I think this will be one of the most exciting developments within the field of paediatric urology over the next ten years."

UHS chief medical officer Paul Grundy added: "We are proud to be at the heart of the research that will hopefully lay the foundations for others in the near future.

“We have long been one of the leading hospital trusts in the UK in this area and, along with our world-class surgeons, have been able to improve patient outcomes. Our paediatric patients will now also benefit, which is a hugely exciting era."

The Versius Surgical Robotic System has been created by UK company CMR Surgical.

Mark Slack, the company's co-founder and chief medical officer, said: "We are delighted to begin the world’s first paediatric trial using Versius in the UK."