Gdańsk hospital becomes first in Poland to use robots in children’s operations
A hospital in Gdańsk has become the first in Poland to use a robot to help carry out operations on children.
The operations, two oncological and one on a urinary tract defect, were carried out by a French-Polish team at the hospital’s University Clinical Centre (UCK) on three girls aged four, six and 17.
Among the three robot-assisted operations, one involving the removal of an adrenal cyst, the other a pancreatic tumour, and one was done to correct a urological tract defect in the form of hydronephrosis.
Prof. Piotr Czauderna, head of the Department of Surgery and Urology for Children and Adolescents at UCK, who was involved in the procedures, said: "Robotic surgery carries huge potential advantages and possibilities for both young patients and doctors.
"It's definitely a higher degree of precision and easiness in carrying out operations by surgeons once they have gained experience.
“The fatigue factor is also removed, and it plays a huge role in laparoscopy. The longer the surgery, the harder it is to operate and the higher the inconvenience and burden related with constrained posture.
“Robot-assisted surgeries allow us to eliminate these difficulties.”
Prof. Piotr Czauderna, head of the Department of Surgery and Urology for Children and Adolescents at UCK, who was involved in the procedures, said: "Robotic surgery carries huge potential advantages and possibilities for both young patients and doctors.
Among the three robot-assisted operations, one involving the removal of an adrenal cyst, the other a pancreatic tumour, and one was done to correct a urological tract defect in the form of hydronephrosis.
UCK announced the success of the operations on their Facebook page alongside a short film from one of them and the news that one of the young patients had already been discharged.
Professor Czauderna added: "The whole initiative was made possible due to the fact that we were able to secure funding from sponsors.
UCK announced the success of the operations on their Facebook page alongside a short film from one of them and the news that one of the young patients had already been discharged.
“Thanks to them, we were able to conduct these first three operations."
All three operations were carried out by French expert Prof. Thomas Blanc of the Necker–Enfants Malades Hospital in Paris, who was assisted by Polish specialists from the Department of Surgery and Urology for Children and Adolescents.
Doctors at UCK hope to carry out 40-50 operations using robot assistance per year, but the robot will not be at UCK permanently and will only be brought in for justified cases which have been agreed and planned beforehand.
