First UK child has surgery in robot device trial

A seven-year-old boy has become the first child in the UK to undergo surgery using a pioneering robot-assisted device.

Reece, from Gosport, Hampshire, was treated for a kidney condition at Southampton Children's Hospital.

The NHS centre is leading a UK trial of the use of the Versius Surgical Robotic System on children, following successful operations involving adult patients.

The hospital said it hoped the technology would produce faster recovery times, less post-operative pain and less time in hospital.

Reece was diagnosed with an obstruction which inhibited the flow of urine from his kidney.

Consultant paediatric urologist Ewan Brownlee used the robot to repair a narrowing of a vessel.

He said: "This has been three years in the making so it's really exciting for the whole paediatric urology team,

"I'm hoping that this is the start of seeing an increase in minimally invasive surgery for children all around the UK."

The Versius system, developed by Cambridge-based CMR Surgical Ltd, aims to increase precision through the use of small surgical instruments, robot-assisted manual control and a magnified screen.

Several NHS sites and a private hospital in the UK already use Versius for operations on adult patients. The system is also in use in other countries.

Reece's mother Elizabeth said: "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."

His father Ashley said: "It sounds scary on paper, but seeing his recovery in the short span that it's been - you only want what's best for your children."

Mr Brownlee said the procedure went smoothly and Reece was able to go home the following day.

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