Patient first Scot to have 3D keyhole operation

Saturday 27 October 2012

A prostate cancer patient has become the first in Scotland to undergo pioneering 3D keyhole surgery.

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Charlotte Thomson

Bob Pert, 69, of Aberdeen, was unaware he was the first in the country to be treated with the latest technology until after the operation. Several treatment options were available to the grandfather-of-seven, including open surgery and radiation, when he was diagnosed with cancer in July.

But he opted for a complete prostate removal through keyhole surgery. Specialist equipment used during the procedure was on loan to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary and has only been available in the UK for six weeks.The procedure is less painful than standard open surgery with patients making a quicker recovery, and suffering less scarring, following the keyhole operation.Mr Pert said he was amazed to find he was Scotland's first patient to undergo the procedure as he left the hospital yesterday. He was admitted to the clinic on Tuesday and was operated on the following day.Mr Pert said: "I felt no pain at all and the nurses were surprised when I refused painkillers because I didn't feel I needed them. I have just five small incisions, but the most important thing for me is making sure the cancer is away. I feel very honoured to be the first in Scotland. I had no idea until [Justine] Royle told me afterwards. I am very grateful to her and the team for doing such a great job and taking such good care of me."Ms Royle, a consultant urological surgeon, was the first in the country to use the stand-alone 3D unit which uses specialised goggles and two cameras to project detailed images of the patient on to a flatscreen during the operation.Mr Pert, a retired father-of-three, was able to get up and walk around the ward less than 24 hours later.The hi-tech procedure is also less demanding on the surgeon.Ms Royle, who was assisted by fellow consultant urological surgeon Mr Satchi Swami, said the 3D operation was a complete success and much faster than usual. She said: "In keyhole surgery we normally use a standard 2D camera, but this unit has two cameras which go inside the patient and are connected to a large screen which allows us to view things in detailed 3D with the help of special goggles."A prostate removal operation generally takes about three hours, however I was able to complete Mr Pert's operation in two hours, so it was much faster and he lost very little blood."The quality of the image was excellent and it allowed us to see things even better, as well as being less physically demanding for me and more comfortable."The operation went very well and it is great to see Mr Pert up and about and looking well so soon after surgery."Urological cancer charity Ucan, which has a care centre at Ward 44 at the hospital, is currently raising £2.5 million for Scotland's first robotic surgical equipment to carry out 3D procedures. The new technology is particularly beneficial for patients with prostate, colorectal and gynaecological cancers but can also be used for other medical problems in cardiac and paediatric departments.The robotic equipment mimics a human hand and is controlled remotely by the surgeon watching magnified 3D high-definition video images of the operation on a screen.

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Patient first Scot to have 3D keyhole operation

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