Robotic surgery comes to private sector with €3.2million Saint James investment

Saint James Hospital on Thursday marked a €3.2 million investment in a new robotic surgical system, making it the largest single investment by the private hospital to date.

The Intuitive Da Vinci XI robot, which will start being used in January, is designed to provide greater precision, fewer complications and smaller incisions, resulting in quicker recovery times.

Jean Claude Muscat, CEO and director of Saint James Hospital in Malta and Hungary, described it as "the most sophisticated advanced technology robot of its kind in the world".

Jean Claude Muscat presenting about the new robot. Photo: Jonathan Borg

The hospital is initially planning to carry out three to four surgeries a week, amounting to around 170 procedures in the first year.

The robotic system can be used in a range of procedures, including bariatric surgery, gynaecology, urology and more complex general surgeries, such as those related to cancer.

While many patients may be familiar with laparoscopic (or ‘keyhole’) surgery, robotic surgery is being positioned as the next major step forward.

“Just as there was a big shift from open surgery to laparoscopy, we believe that in the next several years, more surgeries will be done using the robot. We think all our theatres in the next ten years will be robotic,” Muscat said.

The robot is equipped with four arms that can rotate 360 degrees and is operated via a joystick-controlled console, allowing a surgeon to work remotely with 3D visualisation and enhanced precision. It also helps eliminate surgeon tremors.

There is also the potential for cross-border operations, with a surgeon controlling the robot from abroad while a patient is in Malta.

Camenzuli showing how surgeons use the machine. Photo: Jonathan Borg

Muscat said that while locally trained surgeons will begin using the machine in January, the hospital plans to expand training so that robotic surgery becomes the new standard in their hospitals.

Mater Dei Hospital introduced robotic surgery in 2019, but this is the first investment of its kind by a private hospital.