Following six months of specialist training, Mr Denis Tsepov has led 27 successful complex robotic operations for severe endometriosis and brought together a multidisciplinary robotic surgery team at the London-based Endometriosis Robotic Centre
Private medical provider HCA Healthcare UK has become the first hospital group in the UK to train a robotic surgeon entirely in the independent sector, using the da Vinci® Xi™ System.
From September 2020, Mr Denis Tsepov, a Consultant Gynaecologist who specialises in complex gynaecological cases, underwent a specialist robotics training programme at The Princess Grace Hospital (part of HCA Healthcare UK), empowering him with the skills needed to perform robotic-assisted surgery on patients with complex benign gynaecological conditions, such as deep endometriosis and fibroids. No other private sector hospital in the UK has trained a surgeon to use robotics for gynaecological surgery to date.
The programme involved a series of exercises, including virtual simulation training, e-learning, face-to-face training, lab teaching, and, finally, supervised patient cases. Throughout the programme, Mr Tsepov received statistical assessments of his learning curve, peer reviews, and was proctored by Mr Tony Chalhoub – a national leader in robotic gynaecology.
Following the completion of his training in April 2021, Denis Tsepov and his colleague expert colorectal robotic surgeon Mr. Jim Khan recently performed a successful unique operation : discoid bowel resection for deep infiltrating endometriosis using the da Vinci® Xi™ System, on a 21-year-old female patient who had suffered a decade of painful and debilitating symptoms. Mr Tsepov and Mr Khan believe this was the first robotic operation of this kind performed in the UK.
Mr Tsepov has also brought together a multidisciplinary team at the Endometriosis Robotic Centre, which is located at The Princess Grace Hospital. This is the first BSGE (British Society of Gynaecological Endoscopy) registered purely robotic private endometriosis centre in the UK.
During the procedure the surgeon guides the robot using a nearby console, which allows them to improve overall efficiency and precision when carrying out the surgery, compared to a more traditional laparoscopic approach.
Speaking of the training, Mr Denis Ts