Professor Ara Darzi

Division of Surgery
Imperial College
London

Saving more lives through surgery

Based at Imperial College, London, Professor Ara Darzi is one of the world’s leading surgeons and a pioneer of keyhole surgery. He is investigating robotic surgery and other techniques that will improve the outlook for cancer patients in London and across the UK.

Keyhole and robotic surgery

Surgery is thought to be the most effective treatment for cancer, helping to save more lives than radiotherapy or chemotherapy. Professor Darzi is finding ways to improve this vital treatment further using keyhole and robotic surgery techniques.

Keyhole surgery is when an operation is carried out through a small opening . This approach is less invasive than conventional surgery and can help patients to recover more quickly, with fewer side effects. Robotic surgery is similar, except that a specially designed robot carries out the operation under the control of a surgeon.

Better surgery for prostate cancer

Professor Darzi has set up a clinical trial comparing conventional surgery, keyhole surgery and robotic surgery to see which is the best way to remove the prostate. This study should help to improve prostate cancer surgery for men in the future.

Image-guided surgery

Professor Darzi is also working on image-guided surgery, where high-tech scans are used to make surgery even more accurate. His aim is to help patients by making surgery easier to cope with and more effective, saving more lives in the process.