A robot saved a 61-year-old man's life by removing a cancerous tumor from his throat in a first of its kind operation in the U.K. Surgeons at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital used a next-generation robot called Versius to perform the esophagectomy to remove a 2.3-inch tumor from a patient named Martin Nugent. The procedure performed by the robot was a form of minimal access surgery, which creates smaller incisions and reduces the change of complications, scarring and post-operation pain. 'To have been given a second chance to see my grandchildren, my children and my wife has meant so much to me. The team at the GRH saved my life and I'll be forever grateful to them for doing so,' Nugent said. A robot saved a 61-year-old man's life by removing a cancerous tumor from his throat in a first of its kind operation in the U.K. ABOVE: A picture from a different operation using CMR Surgical's Versius robot Surgeons at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital used a next-generation robot called Versius to perform the esophagectomy to remove a 2.3-inch tumor from a patient named Martin Nugent. 'The suite of fully-wristed instruments, combined with enhanced 3D HD vision, give surgeons a high level of accuracy when performing complicated procedural steps or operating in hard to reach areas,' CMR Surgical, the company responsible for robot, says on its website The delicate effort, which involved raising Nugent's stomach and reconnecting it to his esophagus, is credited with giving him a chance to have experiences he didn't think would be possible.