Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust’s Centre for Endometriosis and Minimally Invasive Gynaecology (CEMIG) was awarded first prize for their robotic work at the British and Irish Association of Robotic Gynaecological Surgeons (BIARGS) Annual Scientific Meeting which took place in November 2024. Our Fellow Sarah Rizeq presented on the joint gynaecology / colorectal / urology work using the da Vinci robot at St Peter’s Hospital and received the award on behalf of the teams.
The Trust’s CEMIG team is one of the largest specialist centres in the UK accredited by the British Society for Gynaecological Endoscopy (BSGE) and the team treats cases of endometriosis from mild disease to the more severe form involving the bladder and bowel.
The Trust’s CEMIG team has gone from strength to strength in the last year, with the team successfully establishing a multidisciplinary endometriosis robotic service and successfully completing 66 robotic-assisted surgical cases, in conjunction with the urology and colorectal surgical team.
Vasileios Minas, Consultant Gynaecologist and Endometriosis Specialist said: “We are really proud of our achievements and having access to use the da Vinci robot has been a real game changer. It has allowed us to carry out the trust’s first-ever case of a fully robotic-assisted joint excision-reconstructive surgery. This procedure exemplifies the potential of robotic surgery in tackling severe endometriosis and enhancing patient outcomes. This is an important milestone and one that has improved the lives of many women.”
Louise Stead, Group Chief Executive, added: “It is fantastic to see the advances in robotic surgery being taken forward at ASPH and with such collaboration across specialities. We are incredibly proud of our CEMIG service and this recognition was a very worthy win.”
Endometriosis is a condition where tissue similar to the lining of the womb grows outside the womb, on the lining of inside of pelvis, on ovaries, bowel and many other organs. For many of the two million women in the UK who are affected it can be a very painful and debilitating condition.
Pictured top: Members of the CEMIG team with the da Vinci robot
