Theatre fit for King’s: advancing 3D surgery

In the past 20 years, there has been a significant increase in laparoscopic surgery – the use of smaller incisions means recovery is faster and there are shorter hospital stays, offering benefits to the hospital, while there is also less risk of surgical site infection, reduced bleeding, fewer complications, decreased pain and less scarring for the patient. Now, with the emergence of the latest 3D imaging technologies, laparoscopic surgeons are further advancing minimally invasive techniques and delivering surgical efficiencies, by improving the speed, accuracy and precision of surgical tasks.1 

King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is supporting advanced 3D laparoscopic surgical approaches with the installation of the UK’s largest 3D surgical endoscopy installation, at its site in Denmark Hill, London. One of London’s largest and busiest teaching hospitals, King’s College Hospital has significantly invested in state-of-the art surgical imaging and tissue management technologies to support pioneering ‘keyhole’ surgery techniques for treating colorectal cancer; bariatric procedures; general surgery; liver, urology, orthopaedics, and gynaecology procedures.

Today, around 90% of surgery is performed laparoscopically at the Trust. However, King’s College Hospital has an established history of being at the forefront of innovation in the field of laparoscopic surgery, as Mr Asif Haq, consultant laparoscopic colorectal and general surgeon, explains: “Over 30 years ago, we were involved in the very early development of ureteroscopes, with Olympus, which went on to evolve into the laparoscopic equipment we see today. King’s also had some of the first laparoscopic theatres in the country.”