Completely voice activated, ViKY® is directed by the surgeon using a headset, similar to that of a mobile phone. The robot holds camera equipment, normally held by a member of the team throughout long surgical procedures, helping to improve accuracy during surgery and potentially reducing time spent in theatre.
 
Mr Malcolm Padwick, Consultant Gynaecologist at Spire Bushey Hospital says; “The ViKY® robotic arm holds my 5 mm laparoscope perfectly still and stable.  When required to move, it is a simple process of voice control via a computer and software package.  A simple instruction produces an immediate accurate smooth and predictable response.  As the surgeon, I am able to ensure that the operating field is always perfectly in view with the laparoscope following my instructions as voice commands.  I feel the operation is completed more accurately and quicker compared with using an assistant to operate the laparoscope.  I now use the ViKY® robotic arm for all my intermediate and major cases.”
 
Local surgeon Mr Padwick is a gynaecologist specialising in cancer treatment and he was the first surgeon at a Spire hospital to work with ViKY®.
 
Spire Bushey Hospital is only the second hospital in the country to adopt this technology, and the first in the private sector. The hospital recently benefitted from a £7 million investment programme which included a range of upgrades including a new fifth theatre, a state-of-the-art CT scanner and a dedicated cancer centre in Elstree.
 
It is this ongoing commitment to investment in surgical technology and the provision of acute care procedures that makes Spire Healthcare a leader in the independent sector.