CRI听力:Robotic Surgery

Cancer operations can sometimes be extremely difficult. It's vital to remove every part of the cancer because just one bad cell left behind can allow it to come back.

These British surgeons are hoping this robot will ensure that doesn't happen.

They are comparing the robot against standard keyhole techniques for removing bowel cancer. They believe it will also make the surgery easier on the patient and improve recovery times.

The doctors say it should mean fewer patients will experience a recurrence of the disease, meaning patients undergo fewer operations and potentially recover sooner.

Consulting colorectal surgeon David Jayne believes it will prove beneficial to patients despite the multi-million dollar expense of installing the robot.

"We've got to think long term, we've got to take the cancer out in its entirety and we don't want the disease coming back, and it's hoped that the accuracy and the use of the robot will actually help us to remove these cancers."

Once out of the operating theatre, the scientists study screens with 50 million pixels, allowing them to see in the finest detail whether the surgeon has left a sufficient safety margin when cutting out the cancer.

The study is being led by Professor Phil Quirke of the University of Leeds. He admits the initial cost of the robot is high, but he says this money is soon recovered by the cash saved on further operations and expensive new drug treatments. Quirke says it also save patients from a great deal more pain and anguish.

"Ninety per cent of those patients will die. They will die, it will take a long time and it will cost a large amount of money. There are estimates it can cost up to a hundred thousand pounds per patient if you have these local recurrences. So reducing these recurrences by optimum surgery is a really important thing."

It's too soon to know whether the robotic surgery has benefited bowel cancer patient Chris Garbett, but he's seen other benefits.

"It certainly aided my recovery. I think I spent less time in hospital. I was up and about within a week of the operation."

The study will eventually involve 400 patients in more than 20 centers across Europe, the US and Asia.

For CRI, I am Li Dong.