£3.5m cancer surgery robot starts work at Cardiff hospital

A new robotic surgery suite for prostate cancer patients has opened at a Cardiff hospital.

The £3.5m equipment, which can remove a cancerous prostate through small incisions, is the first in Wales.

The technology exists in some hospitals in England, but the University Hospital of Wales' robot is the latest model - one of only six in the world.

Prostate cancer is the most common form of the disease in men in Wales, with one in eight affected.

More than 2,500 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer in Wales every year and 550 die.

Early diagnosis is vital and in some cases prompt surgery is needed to remove the infected prostate.

Surgeons in Swansea and Newport will also be able to use the robot

The robotic suite allows surgery to be performed through small "keyholes" rather than large incisions.

This results in shorter recovery times, fewer complications and shorter hospital stay for patients.

Consultant urological surgeon Mr Krishna Narahari said: "My colleagues and me have worked for three years to make robotic surgery in Wales a reality.

"This is a first for Wales and this generation of technology is a first for the UK. It allows us to give distinctive benefits for patients."

The hospital's robot was funded by the Welsh government and surgeons from Swansea and Newport will also be able to use it.

Health Minister Mark Drakeford told BBC Wales there were also plans to extend robotic surgery for prostate cancer to the rest of Wales.