Ross Hall Hospital, part of Circle Health Group, is Scotland’s largest private hospital, and is well-established in both the community and further afield.

Ross Hall Hospital sees patients for a variety of conditions and offers treatments across a range of specialties, from orthopaedics and ophthalmology to bariatric and cardiac surgery. Since the hospital opened its doors over 40 years ago, a lot has changed. 

Most recently, a £40 million investment programme has seen the hospital undergo a full renovation, upgrading all 88 patient ensuite bedrooms, as well as external windows and cladding.

More so, it has expanded to six operating theatres, and opened a three-storey facility – Ross Hall Clinic Braehead – which is home to a dedicated ophthalmology complex, respiratory laboratory, cardiology suite, and specialist skin centre. 

The hospital has also recently invested £2.2 million in its technological capabilities, purchasing a state-of-the-art Da Vinci surgical system robot.

Through this investment, the hospital has further enhanced its uniqueness by establishing itself as the only private hospital in Scotland able to offer patients this type of robotic-assisted surgery.

The Da Vinci surgical system uses cutting-edge technology to ensure the best possible outcomes for patients. 

The futuristic Da Vinci robot is comprised of a number of mechanical arms which the surgeon is able to control through a linked console. By synchronising the surgeon’s hand movements in real time, the robotic arms are able to mimic the movements exactly.

The benefits of this are immense – not least through the range of motion which the robotic instruments have in comparison to the natural hand and wrist. As such, surgeons are enabled to make even smaller and more precise movements during the procedures. 

Another key benefit of offering robotic-assisted surgery using the Da Vinci is the minimally invasive element. Minimally invasive surgery is often sought out as the preferred method for both surgeons and patients alike, removing the need to be “opened up”.

The robot’s tiny surgical instruments are inserted through one, or a few, minute incisions, as well as a camera – this allows the surgeon to watch everything that is happening during the procedure via an HD, 3D image.

Patients choosing to have robotic-assisted procedures at Ross Hall Hospital can benefit in numerous ways compared to more traditional approaches.

These include:

■ Reduced risk of blood loss
■ Less damage to surrounding tissue and nerves
■ Lower risk of infection
■ Further reduced hospital stays 
and recovery times
■ Better patient outcomes
■ The ability to perform more complex and delicate procedures

Ross Hall Hospital is the only private hospital in Scotland with a level 3 ICU, allowing it to offer surgeries that no other private hospital can provide

UROLOGY AND ROBOTIC-ASSISTED PROSTATECTOMIES
A ROBOTIC-ASSISTED radical prostatectomy is one of the numerous options available to treat patients with prostate cancer within the hospital’s urology service, and is one of the most common procedures Ross Hall Hospital utilises the Da Vinci robot for.

It is a localised, well-established surgical practice and has been highlighted to offer better overall outcomes for prostate cancer patients regarding urinary incontinence and erectile dysfunction. 

The procedure is performed under general anaesthetic and usually takes around two to three hours. The procedure involves removing the prostate gland and the surrounding tissues and seminal vesicles, as well as the lymph nodes from around the prostate gland if required. 

The Da Vinci robot allows the Consultant Urological Surgeon to be extremely precise in removing the prostate and vesicles, only targeting the diseased tissue and wherever possible avoiding the other delicate surrounding structures including nerves, blood vessels and muscles.

With this robotic approach, they are able to view an ultra-clear HD view of the inside of the abdomen. The magnified view this provides them in harmony with the minute surgical tools allows them to operate with more accuracy than ever before.

Patients eligible and recommended for robotic-assisted prostatectomies at Ross Hall Hospital are those whose cancer has not spread beyond their prostate, those who are young with an “active tumour”, and those who have high-risk, localised cancer. 

Another robotic treatment available is a robotic-assisted simple prostatectomy. This is offered to patients with an enlarged, benign prostate.

As such, the hospital is proud to offer these innovative techniques to patients with varying needs. 

Its Consultant Urological Surgeons work closely with the Oncology Department to formulate an appropriate, tailored treatment plan for patients, ensuring continuity and an established line of communication between the teams throughout their treatment.

A number of Consultant Urological Surgeons at Ross Hall Hospital offer this procedure including Mr Jaimin Bhatt, Mr Lorenzo Dutto, and Professor Imran Ahmad. 

PATIENT SUCCESS
ONE of the first patients to undergo robotic-assisted surgery using the Da Vinci surgical system at Ross Hall Hospital at the end of 2023 had a family history of prostate cancer. 

He had a regular Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) test carried out at his GP, and while he was initially symptomless, his PSA levels had risen and he decided to get formally checked once they rose above 20. 

“Initially when I got my diagnosis I was worried and apprehensive. I’m quite a pragmatic person though so I took my time to do my research on treatment options, as well as speaking to various professionals. There were three different options, and for me a robotic prostatectomy seemed the best option.

Radiotherapy had far more side effects and I decided that getting my prostate removed was the best option moving forward and the recovery time was less than the other treatment options as well.

“I sought further advice from Dr Abdullah Alhasso, Consultant Clinical Oncologist. He is also the Consultant treating members of my family. Dr Alhasso recommended Professor Imran Ahmad, Consultant Urologist and Robotic Surgeon, who performs robotic-assisted prostatectomy surgery at Ross Hall Hospital.”

He had to wait less than two weeks between seeing Professor Ahmad at Ross Hall and being admitted for surgery. The surgery took around three hours in total and he stayed in the hospital for two nights.

Asked what advice he would give to someone in a similar position to himself, he said: “My advice to someone else in my position would be get your PSA checked!

“I’m telling all my friends and family to get their PSA levels checked especially because you can have no signs or symptoms with prostate cancer. If something does show, do your research thoroughly and choose the best treatment that suits you. Don’t just ignore it.”

Professor Ahmad stated: “Robotic Surgery has revolutionised care for men with prostate cancer. It is the standard of care for patients undergoing radical prostatectomy, with a lower incidence of pain, less bleeding, and a quicker return to pre-operative levels. It allows me to better spare the delicate nerves around the prostate that control erectile function, as well as preserve the anatomical structures that influence continence outcomes. 

“Personally, I wouldn’t dream of doing a prostatectomy without a robotic system, since I know how beneficial it is for the patient.”

Aside from urology, Ross Hall Hospital also offers patients robotic-assisted procedures using the Da Vinci surgical system across other key specialties including colorectal, general, and gynaecological surgery. 

Its highly experienced robotically trained consultants offer procedures which cover numerous areas including cystectomies, complex hernias, anterior resections, excisions of endometriosis, hysterectomies, rectopexies, and pelvic surgery.

As with any surgical procedure, there are risks and complications associated with robotic-assisted surgery. 

These are all covered in-depth by the respective specialists during their consultations with patients.

WHY CHOOSE ROSS HALL?
ROSS Hall Hospital hosts 88 private ensuite patient bedrooms, as well as six operating theatres, a diagnostic imaging department (MRI, CT, X-ray, ultrasound, mammography), a chemotherapy unit, an endoscopy suite, an

ICU/HDU department and a cardiac catheterisation laboratory, while it also has a physiotherapy department and an on-site pharmacy.
The hospital is the only private hospital in Scotland with a level 3 ICU, allowing it to offer surgeries that no other private hospital can provide. 

With the opening of Ross Hall Clinic Braehead in January 2022, the vast majority of outpatient clinics are located at the clinic, alongside an additional MRI and X-ray, a cardiology department, respiratory laboratory, specialist skin centre, and eye care department (Eye Care Scotland) 
which hosts two theatres, four consultation rooms and two diagnostic rooms.

The hospital continues to invest in technology and equipment to further enhance its offering to patients, while its intensive care facilities ensure it will be able to continue to treat patients requiring complex surgery and those living with comorbidities to undergo treatment safely and efficiently in a clinical, hospital-based environment.

Andrew Renwick, Consultant General and Colorectal Surgeon said: “Robotic hernia repairs are well-established procedures within the US and Europe already. 

“It is a superior option for hernia repair as it has a lesser incidence of ongoing pain compared to open inguinal hernia repair surgery and a decreased risk of bleeding and haematoma formation compared to laparoscopic hernia repair surgery. 

“Hernias can be repaired either openly or laparoscopically and the robotic repair can be done at the same time. It allows for more effective mesh placement as well, ensuring that the hernia contents are fully reduced.’’ 

Lorenzo Dutto, Consultant Urological Surgeon said: “The use of the surgical robot in urology has been used increasingly since its inception in the early 2000’s. Since then, the robotic platform has seen many improvements, in a similar fashion to how other IT-related technology has improved over the last 20 years.

“It is an instrument that has allowed prostate cancer surgery to make a gigantic leap forward, combining the benefits of traditional keyhole surgery to its augmented precision, improved vision and visual magnification. 

“This has progressively increased our understanding of the ‘details’ of anatomy, which has in turn led to a significant improvement in functional outcomes. In the setting of robotic assisted radical prostatectomy (RALP), we have been able to progressively improve functional outcomes, such as early return to urinary continence and erectile function recovery after the surgery, while maintaining oncological outcomes (cancer removal) and reducing post-operative stay, blood loss and post-operative pain. 

“However, we should not be led to think that the robot is an automated tool that does its work independently. In truth, it mimics the movements that the surgeon does outside of the patient’s body on a much smaller scale inside the patient.

“What this means is that the use of the robot will not automatically translate into improved outcomes, but will rather enable surgeons to optimally implement their expertise and understanding of the anatomy to obtain the aforementioned improved results”

Jaimin Bhatt, Consultant Urological Surgeon said: “As an experienced cancer surgeon, I have been trained in robotic surgery for prostate cancer in Oxford and Toronto, both world-leading centres of excellence, and am one of a few robotic surgeons in the west of Scotland.

“Previously, before the robotic approach became available, we used to do open surgery. 

“However, with robotic surgery, my patients have smaller incisions which are barely visible, significantly less pain, far less blood loss, shorter stays in hospital of one to two days, faster recovery and excellent outcomes.

“The enhanced optics are 3D and magnified which means I can perform surgery more precisely.”  

www.circlehealthgroup.co.uk/robotics-scotland