The Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Hospital (QEQM) in Kent has taken a big step toward becoming a surgical innovator. Alongside a recent implementation of robotic surgery, they’ve continued to expand their medical capabilities. Consultant colorectal and general surgeon Sudhaker Mangam and his team guided the very first patients through this pioneering procedure. This remarkable accomplishment is a critical turning point for health in the local community.
The robotic surgery was the first of its kind offered by London’s National Health Service (NHS) rolled out earlier this year. It uses a high-tech robot that has four robotic arms that are controlled from a console by the surgeon. This technology makes it possible to perform operations with advanced precision, giving surgeons a 3D view inside the patient’s body.
Thanks to innovative testing, Mandy Lee was one of the first patients to benefit from this groundbreaking approach. After being diagnosed with bowel cancer, she had half of her bowel removed. Lee had the procedure done on a Thursday. By Sunday, she was back home with a sense of relief and positive anticipation about her recovery.
“It was a bit of a scary thought, I hadn’t even considered the possibility of robotic surgery, but I just wanted the cancer gone and I wasn’t put off,” Lee stated, highlighting her initial concerns about the procedure.
Stanley Russell, 73, was the second patient to have robotic surgery at QEQM. Secondly, he wanted to address the inhumane way the medical team treated him and others before his operation by not fully explaining the procedure. “The team explained everything really well and said it would be less painful than going through more invasive surgery, so that made sense to me,” Russell shared.
Sudhaker Mangam, clinical lead for this project, said that this new technology was hugely important for patients in East Kent. “This marks a major advancement in surgical capability for East Kent patients, enabling greater precision, improved outcomes, and faster recovery times,” he stated.
Robotic surgery has been a great success story at QEQM. Today, patients can look forward to much less distressing treatments than with old invasive options. The team promised Lee and Russell that similar robotic surgeries done at other institutions around Europe have produced successful outcomes.
Patients like Lee and Russell are just beginning their recovery journeys. They are a testament to a larger movement across today’s medicine, where the latest technology enhances the surgeon’s skill and brings about improved results. That made the introduction of robotic surgery at QEQM a historic milestone for the hospital. It also casts a hopeful light for patients looking for better treatment alternatives to combat grave health concerns.