OHE March 2018
- An examination of the benefits of minimal access surgery, the extent to which these benefits are realised in practice, and the major barriers to wider adoption.
- The report focuses on three specific areas of surgery: gynaecology (specifically hysterectomy), lower abdominal (specifically ventral / incisional hernia repair), and colorectal (specifically lower anterior resection).
- Thematic analysis of the interviews identified five key themes as potentially affecting the uptake of MAS: (1) the evidence base, (2) the role of stakeholders (hospitals, commissioners, surgeons and patients), (3) training requirements, (4) the context of the service delivery model (in particular the financial constraints of the NHS), and (5) the forthcoming robotic era.
