Prostate patient home just hours after robot surgery

A cancer patient has become one of the first in the UK to be discharged the same day after undergoing major robotic prostate surgery at Bath's Royal United Hospital.

- Lewis Clarke

Eddie Harvey, 67, from Corsham, walked into the Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust (RUH) early one morning for a robotic radical prostatectomy - and was back in his own bed that night, making him only the second patient at the hospital to experience same-day discharge following the complex procedure.

Performed using the hospital's state-of-the-art Da Vinci surgical robot - funded by local charity RUHX - the surgery marks a significant step in modern urological care. Radical prostatectomy involves removing the prostate gland and surrounding tissue and is the primary treatment for prostate cancer which has not spread beyond the prostate.

The operation was led by consultant urological and robotic surgeon Ayman Ali, and is part of a wider move at the RUH to improve patient experience and free up hospital beds. The use of robotic assistance allows for greater precision and less invasive access, promoting quicker recovery and better outcomes.