Now, thanks to a new partnership with industry leader Intuitive Surgical, QEQM Hospital has a big milestone of its own—performing the hospital’s first robotic surgeries. One of the patients, 68-year-old Mandy Lee, recently underwent surgery to remove her bowel after being diagnosed with bowel cancer. Consultant colorectal and general surgeon Sudhaker Mangam is the driving force behind this radical new initiative. The milestone delivers a significant increase in surgical capacity for patients across east Kent.
Mandy Lee was scheduled for her corrective surgery on a Thursday. By Sunday, she was back home, highlighting the procedure’s promise of shorter recovery times and improving outcomes. Like most robotic surgical systems, the one used in her operation has four arms. Surgeons control these arms remotely, allowing for more extreme precision in the surgical process.
“I am definitely improving each day after the procedure,” Lee said, conveying her sense of relief after the surgery. Initially hesitant about the idea of robotic surgery, she said, “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.”
Stanley Russell, living in Herne Bay, was the second pacemaker patient to have a robotic procedure at QEQM. He reiterated Lee’s praise of the detailed explanation given by the medical staff to help him understand what would occur during surgery. Russell continued, “The team walked me through all my options. They told me that this option would be less painful than other invasive surgery and that really resonated with me.
This further expands use of the robotic procedure by the NHS since the procedure was introduced in London at the beginning of the year. Surgeons such as Mangam remain hopeful about its potential to improve patient care. This is a significant development in the surgical technology available to patients in east Kent. It allows for more accuracy, enhanced results and faster recovery times,” he said.
The introduction of robotic surgery at QEQM Hospital is not only set to enhance patient experiences but also aims to improve surgical outcomes significantly. Having had two successful operations under its belt, both patients and medical professionals express hope for its future in the region.