Objective: A commercially available CT-guided robot offers enhanced abilities in planning, targeting, and confirming accurate needle placement. In this short communication, we describe our first UK experience of robotic interventional oncology procedures.
Methods: We describe the device, discuss installation, operation, and report upon needle insertion success, accuracy (path deviation; PD and tip deviation; TD), number of adjustments, complications, and procedural success.
Results: Nine patients (seven males), median age 66 years (range 43-79) were consented for biopsy or ablation between March and April 2021. Needle placement in biopsy was more accurate than ablation (median 1 vs 11 mm PD and 1 vs 20 mm TD) and required fewer adjustments (median 0 vs 5). No complications arose, and all procedures were successful (diagnostic material obtained or complete ablation at follow-up).
Conclusion: Short procedure times and very high levels of accuracy were readily achieved with biopsy procedures, although tumour ablation was less accurate which likely reflects higher procedural complexity.
Advances in knowledge: Achieving highly accurate robotic biopsy with is feasible within a very short time span. Further work is required to maximise the potential of robotic guidance in tumour ablation procedures, which is likely due to higher complexity giving a longer learning curve.