Robotic Surgery Milestones Reach Scotland and India

Scotland’s NHS Forth Valley health board has installed a Da Vinci XI dual‑console robotic system at Forth Valley Royal Hospital in Larbert, funded by £2.5 million from the Scottish Government. In the first six weeks the programme completed 19 robotic‑assisted procedures across colorectal, gynaecology and urology, including cancer surgeries. Executive Chair Graham Watson said the technology “represents nothing less than a pioneering path to the future of healthcare”, citing shorter operating times, reduced blood loss, fewer complications and faster patient recovery.

In Hyderabad, India, the Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS) celebrated its 1,000th robotic‑assisted surgery in under three years. More than 90 % of the operations were provided free under government schemes. The case mix included 590 urology procedures, 248 surgical gastro‑enterology operations and 162 surgical oncology cases, covering complex cancer resections, renal transplants and paediatric surgeries. Director Dr Rahul Devraj highlighted the achievement as a major step toward making advanced robotic surgery accessible in public healthcare.