State-of-the-art robotic surgery to improve treatment for gynaecological conditions is helping to accelerate the vital bridging of the gender health gap, insists a formal NHS partner

InnoScot Health believes that the enhanced precision and minimally invasive approach of robotic-assisted surgery (RAS) is “proving particularly effective for improving gender equity in the accessibility of surgery” with gynaecology being a much-needed beneficiary.

Amid a need for wider systematic change, the formal NHS Scotland partner says that innovation is continuing to help the workforce “make significant strides” aligned with the aims of the Scottish Government’s ambitious Women’s Health Plan.

InnoScot Health points to recent successes across a number of health boards, including NHS Ayrshire & Arran where a pioneering robotic gynaecology surgical programme has treated more than 250 women since July 2023, with 95% able to return home on the same day of their surgery amid improved outcomes and recovery times.

Leading the programme, Consultant Gynaecologist and Robotic Surgeon Dr Inna Sokolova called it “a significant step forward in improving access to advanced treatments” which has established NHS Ayrshire & Arran as “a centre for excellence in robotic surgical care for women”.

Head of Project Management at InnoScot Health, Gillian Henderson said: “During Endometriosis Awareness Month, it’s important that we highlight key programmes like these which are helping to transform the care available to women across Scotland and help tackle gender inequity.

“The benefits of RAS, including reduced trauma, shortened hospital stays, and improved patient outcomes, are to be lauded and celebrated.

“Intricate procedures can be performed by surgeons with greater ease and safety thanks to the enhanced visualisation and precision which RAS allows — and women are reaping the benefits.

“Of course, reducing gender inequity requires multiple interventions — including continuing to change the culture around diagnosis of women-only conditions — but the transformative benefits of RAS for gynaecological conditions represent an important step forward in heightening access.”

Successful initiatives like these align closely Women’s Health Plan objectives which prioritise better availability of diagnostic and treatment services and pave the way for further advancements in women’s healthcare across Scotland through innovation and patient-centred care.

RAS is also employed in gynaecology at the Glasgow Royal Infirmary (GRI) and Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH), with surgical robots increasingly assisting procedures across the country.

In fact, more than 10,000 patients across Scotland have benefitted from RAS since 2021 with the primary aim stated to be improving access for gynaecology and colorectal patients — the clinical specialities requiring the highest rates of open surgery in Scotland.

A spinout of InnoScot Health, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and the Golden Jubilee National Hospital, CardioPrecision — a specialist in less invasive treatment of structural heart disease — played a leading role in bringing the world’s first robotic aortic valve replacement through a tiny incision in the neck significantly closer to reality.

Last year, the specialist in less invasive treatment of structural heart disease demonstrated a proof-of-concept AVATAR (Advanced Videoscopic Aortic valve surgery by Transcervical Approach using Robot-assistance) procedure in Chicago.

The procedure was successfully performed on a series of human cadavers, representing an important milestone in progressing towards clinical cases while also continuing to grow CardioPrecision’s stateside presence.

InnoScot Health is aiming to help NHS Scotland improve women’s health with an innovation call targeted at pregnancy and perinatal treatment and care.

Inspiring the diverse NHS workforce to come up with new ways of working in this key area is vital, and InnoScot Health offers a package of support for staff including regulatory advice, project management, and the extensive innovation expertise of its highly experienced team.

Gillian added: “We believe that identifying ideas drawn from the deep expertise and experience of the workforce can improve how the service provides the right care for every woman and baby, while giving all children the best possible start in life.

“The aim is to inspire bespoke solutions to everyday issues from the people who work within the service and often best understand the challenges. Our commercial support then helps translate ideas into products and services that can then be deployed back into the NHS, resulting in improved outcomes, better processes, and a more sustainable, equitable health service.”