Mr Peter Cooke is a robotically trained surgeon at New Cross Hospital in Wolverhampton. Here he shares a little about what his robotic training from The Urology Foundation has meant for him, his team, and his patients.
Photo courtesy of Department of Clinical Illustration, New Cross Hospital, Wolverhampton
I’ve been a part of a successful robotic surgery team in Wolverhampton for seven years now. Together we have been able to provide alternative treatment options to urology patients in the West Midlands and I’m grateful to TUF for enabling us to do this.
What did robotic surgery training look like for us?
Back in 2012 my team and I received a preceptorship from The Urology Foundation. It meant that the four core members of our operating team had the opportunity to receive mentorship from the team at Guy’s Hospital, cadaveric team training in Paris, and the opportunity to visit Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, USA to learn from their robotic surgery experts.
As you’d expect, we learnt a lot about the specific robotic surgical techniques used there, but learning those alone wouldn’t have set us up particularly well. The team in Nashville run one of the highest volume centres in the USA, with huge numbers of patients coming through their doors each year. They took us through their entire operation; showing us how to organise a team to provide for a high volume of patients, from their nursing process, to their surgical assistants and surgical scheduling, as well as patient assessment and pre-operative counselling.
The TUF effect
The service that my team and I offer to people in the West Midlands has come on leaps and bounds thanks to the support we received from TUF and it’s grown sustainably so that the quality of service isn’t compromised by high volume of service. Our experience has also meant that we’ve been able to help other surgeons train in our area; there’s been a ripple effect so that the quality of service hasn’t just improved in our centre, but in centres across the region. A bit of funding for me and my team has had a significant impact on the whole region.
For me personally, as well, having the support of The Urology Foundation has made a big difference as I’ve been able to build relationships with fellow robotic surgeons and other urologists. It’s grown my experience and confidence and has been very rewarding. It’s very reassuring to know there is a charity dedicated to the whole of urology. The team at TUF are genuinely committed to the urology profession, ensuring we have the support we need to provide the best outcome for the patient.
This post is a part of a larger article by Mr Pete Cooke. Read the full article here.
