Robot-assisted surgery (RAS) is a type of minimally invasive surgery. Typically, the surgeon guides the robot into the body through small cuts and does the procedure from a computer console, next to the operating table. RAS is becoming more widely used as an alternative to open and laparoscopic surgery. In 2022, the Royal College of Surgeons estimated that over 1.8 million RAS procedures were done internationally and it was available in more than 100 UK hospitals (RCS 2023). There is unanimous acknowledgement across NHS organisations, professional societies and industry that RAS use is expanding in the UK.
RAS has many potential benefits for patients, surgeons and the NHS. It may increase access to minimally invasive surgery, reduce the number of minimally invasive procedures that are converted to open surgery, reduce the length of hospital stay and recovery time, and reduce the physical strain on surgeons. All these factors may increase efficiency in the NHS.
RAS can be done for many different types of procedure, on many parts of the body. These can be broadly categorised into RAS for soft-tissue procedures and RAS for orthopaedic procedures. NICE is scoping for 2 early value assessments (EVAs) for RAS technologies in each of these areas.
The RAS for orthopaedic procedures EVA will aim to identify and review technologies that help surgeons to do procedures in the musculoskeletal system. These technologies typically aim to increase precision in cutting bones and implanting medical materials and devices in the musculoskeletal system.
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Status
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In progress
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Technology type
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Device
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Decision
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Selected
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Reason for decision
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Anticipate the topic will be of importance to patients, carers, professionals, commissioners and the health of the public to ensure clinical benefit is realised, inequalities in use addressed, and help them make the best use of NHS resources
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Provisional Schedule
| Draft guidance |
10 December 2024 - 07 January 2025 |
| Committee meeting: 2 |
30 January 2025 |
| Resolution |
28 February 2025 |
| Expected publication |
31 March 2025 |
Project Team
| Project lead |
Catherine Pank |
Email enquiries
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Date
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Update
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31 October 2024
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Committee meeting: 1 |
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08 July 2024
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Final scope |
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22 April 2024
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Launch |
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22 April 2024
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In progress. Topic launch. |
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18 April 2024
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Awaiting development. Status change linked to Topic Selection Decision being set to Selected |
For further information on our processes and methods, please see our early value assessment interim statement.