Robotic surgeries will reduce pain and recovery times for Limerick hospital patients
St John's Hospital is the first hospital in the country to launch the versius robotic surgery system
A ROBOTIC surgical system operated by surgeons now in place in St John’s Hospital will reduce pain and recovery time for patients, while also increasing bed capacity, as hospital stays after a procedure will be reduced.
St John’s Hospital is the first hospital in the country to have the versius robotic system, which can be used for keyhole abdominal surgery, along with others.
“Our patients recover faster, they have less pain, they can get home to their families quicker and they can get back to normality quicker - and that’s really why robotic surgery is as important as it is,” Professor Calvin Coffey, clinical lead for the project told those gathered in St John’s Hospital for the launch.
Funded by the JP McManus Pro-Am 2022 and the Mid-Western Hospitals Development Trust, the €2.5 million investment represents a major advance in medicine, in which St John’s Hospital is seen as leading the charge.
The new state of the art technology will allow for more surgeries, the procedures will be quicker and more streamlined and for patients, most importantly, there will be less pain and it will lower recovery times - crucially for the Mid-West region, this will also increase bed capacity, as people will require shorter stays in hospital.
Designed to enhance surgeons’ capabilities by mimicking the human arm, the robotic system features fully wristed instruments that provide surgeons and surgical teams the freedom to perform complex procedures. Its compact, modular design makes it portable between operating rooms and flexible to set up.
The first cases were successfully completed in St John’s Hospital in January 2026.
Twelve patients have had procedures to date, with the hospital initially focusing on general surgery and colorectal patients and with plans in place to shortly expand to gynaecology and urology patients.
On January 28, 2026, Barry Kelly from Miltown Malbay, County Clare, became the first patient to undergo a robotic-assisted procedure at St John’s Hospital when consultant colorectal and general surgeon Professor Christina Fleming carried out a robotic inguinal hernia repair.
For Mr Kelly, who leads a very active life both in managing deliveries at Aldi in Ennistymon and as a well-known Gaelic football referee, shorter recovery time was a key consideration.
“When I first met Christina, she explained to me the various options we had for surgery and ran me through the risks and complications. She recommended the robot as possibly the best way forward and I said: ‘We might as well have a go’. But once she said I would be the first one done in St John’s, I said ‘we’ll definitely have a go so’. The Clare lads like to get in first,” recalled Barry.
“This is the world we are living in now with robotics and technology. It’s the way forward. The main benefit for me was I was out quicker. I was actually home on the same day. That’s how good it is.
“Another big plus for me was that meant a bed was freed up for someone else. When you think of hospitals, you think of overcrowding and elderly people who are waiting for a bed. But I was on my way home at 6pm and I wasn’t taking up a bed when there are plenty who need it more than me,” said Barry.
The Kelly family have made a huge contribution to Clare sport, with brothers Gordon and Graham lining out for the senior intercounty football team and sister Diane making it to an All-Ireland final.
Barry’s niece Abi is an Ireland U-18 rugby international representing her country in the Six Nations.
For Barry, the shorter recovery time associated with robotic-assisted surgery meant he was back on the field as a linesman within three weeks of surgery and back officiating as referee within six weeks.
Patients such as Barry are seeing these considerable benefits thanks to the generosity of the JP McManus Pro-Am, who have supported the institution of this cutting edge programme at Limerick’s oldest operating acute hospital site, having also generously supported the earlier robotic surgery programme at University Hospital Limerick in 2016.
Prof J Calvin Coffey, Foundation Chair of Surgery at the University of Limerick School of Medicine and general and colorectal surgeon, has pioneered the delivery of robotic-assisted surgery for patients in the Mid-West since 2016.
Professor Coffey is the clinical lead on the project and he said that St John’s is showing how robotic surgery can be done safely in a smaller hospital setting and leading the way for other hospitals to follow in their footsteps.
He added that nationwide, hospitals are struggling with recruitment and access to training for surgeons and he said that this new system solves those problems.
“Until now, robotic surgery has largely been reserved for long, complex procedures in major university hospitals. However, the majority of operations are shorter and less complex. The introduction of versius changes that. It brings the benefits of robotic precision—smaller incisions, faster recovery, earlier discharge—to a much broader group of patients. In practical terms, it means more people can return to their families and normal lives sooner.”
Emer Martin, Chief Executive Officer, St John’s Hospital, said: “We’re delighted to be the first hospital in Ireland to introduce the versius system. The first operations with the new robot were completed on January 28.
“From the clinicians to the various healthcare partners involved, everyone has been very supportive of this initiative. It has been very beneficial for our surgical team, collaborating with colleagues in the Mid-West health region to deliver on this great project together.
“We are very grateful to Mr JP McManus and the Mid-Western Hospitals Development Trust for their generous support, without whom this wouldn’t have happened.”
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It was described as the leading innovation in next generation surgical technology by David Laheen the managing director of med surgical, part of Uniphar MedTech.
Mr Laheen stressed: “The surgeon is in the room - the surgeon is in control the whole time. The consultant is front and fore to the procedure and always will be,” adding that this offers a tool for advancement in the surgery.
Declan Madden, chairperson of the Mid-Western Hospitals Development Trust, said: “The Mid-Western Hospitals Development Trust is delighted to be associated with what is the first versius surgical robotic system in Ireland.
“The donation of the overall robotic programme was made possible, by the generous support from the JP McManus Pro-Am 2022.
“The Mid-Western Hospitals Development Trust acknowledges and thanks the JP McManus Pro-Am 2022 and the McManus family for their continued, invaluable support it provides to the region’s hospitals for the benefit of patients.
“This is an exciting time for St John’s Hospital. The introduction of the versius surgical robotic system will provide patients of the Mid-West region with optimal surgical treatment. This state-of-the art technology is an essential part of the infrastructure required in a modern hospital setting.”