Sir,
I am pleased to hear that Matt Bruce is highly satisfied with his treatment for prostate
cancer at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, which is using the ultra-
He has obtained the figure of 40 such machines in use in England from a newspaper article which does not distinguish between the Xi and the older, slower and less accurate "da Vinci Si", commissioned in 2009, or the "da Vinci Surgical System" machine developed in 1999, and which are in widespread use in England and Scotland.
Mr Bruce should consider himself lucky that he is living in Scotland because the English NHS has a poor record of prostate surgery compared with Scotland, where laparoscopy has been available at many hospitals since 2005.
As Prostate Scotland says "recently, laparoscopic/ keyhole surgery has become more available for prostate cancer treatment in Scotland and is now available in many centres" including Edinburgh Western General, Ninewells, Monklands and Raigmore. There is also an Xi machine at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Glasgow and the SNP Government is buying them for other hospitals.
Dr David Wilson
12b Tolsta Chaolais
Isle of Lewis
Letter: Keyhole surgery treatment
2 May 2016