Spire St Anthony’s Hospital expands its investment in robotic surgery with new da Vinci Xi system
16 July 2025
- Robotic assisted surgeries enhance precision and are shown to speed patient recovery
Spire St Anthony’s Hospital in Cheam, Surrey is now offering urology patients minimally invasive robotic assisted surgery with the da Vinci system – a highly advanced and precise surgical solution. The new da Vinci Xi system was first used in June and joins an already impressive range of robotic technology at Spire St Anthony’s Hospital.
The da Vinci robotic system is used across a range of urological procedures including as prostatectomies (removal of part or all of the prostate gland), partial cystectomies (removal of part of the bladder), pyeloplasties (removal of a blockage or narrowing of your ureteropelvic junction) and nephrectomies (removal of part or all of a kidney).
Spire St Anthony's Hospital team with the da Vinci Xi system (pictured)
The da Vinci Xi system allows for greater dexterity and accuracy in confined anatomical spaces, which is common in urological procedures. It uses 3D high-definition visualisation and wristed instruments that mimic the natural movement of the surgeon’s hand but with greater range of movement than possible with human hands and wrists.
With personalised surgical plans for each patient, high-definition visualisations and smaller incisions, patients who have been operated on with the da Vinci system may be less likely to experience complications during the procedure and more likely to experience lower pain levels during recovery. This has been shown to lead to better outcomes and quicker recovery. More than 12 million procedures have been performed with da Vinci surgical systems on patients worldwide.
Spire St Anthony’s Hospital will soon be extending the da Vinci service to gynaecology, general surgery including colorectal, head and neck and thoracic surgical specialties.
Mr Pieter Le Roux, Consultant Urologist at Spire St Anthony’s Hospital, said: “I was delighted to perform the first da Vinci robotic assisted surgery at Spire St Anthony's Hospital in June. I operated together with fellow consultant urological surgeon Mr Deno Sri and anaesthetist Dr Sarah Wilkinson. The patient underwent a robotic-assisted reconstruction of a pelvi-ureteric junction obstruction of the kidney. The surgery went very smoothly and the patient is making an excellent early recovery. It is expected that she will do very well."
Mr Pieter Le Roux, pictured with the da Vinci Xi system
Mr Le Roux continues: “For patients, it is great to see that Spire St Anthony's Hospital is investing in this technology. The robotic system has many advantages over conventional laparoscopy and has become the gold standard for complex minimally invasive surgery in urology and many other specialties.
"The fantastic, magnified 3D vision together with incredible precision and dexterity of movements allow very precise surgery through tiny incisions.”
Mr Denosshan Sri, Consultant Urologist at Spire St Anthony’s Hospital, said: "Using the da Vinci Xi robotic system to perform a robotic-assisted pyeloplasty allowed us to precisely relieve a blockage to the flow of urine from the kidney and preserve the patient’s kidney function, which was beginning to deteriorate. Timely access to this advanced technology meant we could intervene before further damage occurred, delivering a safe, minimally invasive procedure with a quicker recovery. This reflects our commitment to making a positive difference to people’s lives — through clinical excellence, innovation, and prompt, high-quality care.”
Debra Barrett, Robotic Assisted Surgical Lead at Spire St Anthony’s Hospital, said: “We are pleased to have successfully completed the first robotic assisted procedure at Spire St Anthony’s Hospital and look forward to offering this service to many more patients going forward.
"The da Vinci Xi system will be used across multiple specialties and bring even greater precision to a range of surgical procedures. The highly skilled and dedicated theatre robotics team are looking forward to using it to expand our services.”