The Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother (QEQM) Hospital in Kent has reached an extraordinary landmark. In June, it completed its first robotic surgeries with great success, marking an amazing step forward for the region’s medical technology. Consultant colorectal and general surgeon Sudhaker Mangam performed the majority of the procedures. He executed this complex procedure using a state-of-the-art four-armed robotic system, which he controlled entirely from a remote console. This new technique provides a three-dimensional perspective from inside the patient’s body, improving precision and accuracy in surgery.
Mandy Lee, a 68-year-old patient who flew in from Newark, Del., to be the first to experience this pioneering procedure. They successfully removed surgery on the right side of her bowel. Lee was worried about robotic surgery at first, but decided her health was more important.
“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.” – Mandy Lee
Lee’s surgery was on a Thursday. She was released from the hospital on Sunday and has been improving each day since. Her reassuring surgical team calmed her down. They argued that the robotic procedure has already been safely adopted throughout a majority of Europe, where it’s led to superb patient outcomes.
Herne Bay resident Stanley Russell became the second patient in the world to have access to this advanced robotic technology. The care team promised the young man that this new procedure would be less painful than conventional invasive surgeries. This discussion removed the majority of his concern.
“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.” – Stanley Russell
Robotic surgery first appeared under the NHS in London as recently as this year. Since then, it has been picking up steam quickly across hospitals all across the UK. Mangam underscored the impact this cutting-edge technology had made for their 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.” – Sudhaker Mangam
The introduction of robotic surgery at QEQM Hospital demonstrates a clear commitment to leveraging advanced medical technology. This innovation is all about raising the bar on quality, patient-centered care and outcomes. More patients now can start enjoying the advantages of this minimally invasive approach. The medical community cannot wait for this opportunity to improve health outcomes in the future.