The Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Hospital (QEQM) has reached a very impressive tipping point. It recently carried out its first robotic surgeries in east Kent, giving patients access to some of the most advanced treatment options for bowel cancer. Even the mighty NHS in London wouldn’t be pioneering such groundbreaking technology—except they actually rolled this out earlier this year. Most importantly, it has established a higher expectation for precision and postoperative recovery in surgical practices.
Local 68-year-old patient Mandy Lee, @ AllMandyLee, cemented her personal legacy today. She was the very first person to have surgery using the newly installed robotic system. She was subsequently diagnosed with bowel cancer. On Thursday, after three days of pre-operative care, she had part of her bowel removed. The operation was led by Consultant Colorectal and General Surgeon Sudhaker Mangam. He controlled the robot and mostly on his own incredibly adeptly used all four arms of the robot to conduct the surgery.
The robotic system allowed Lee to be navigated with a 3D view of her internal anatomy during the procedure. This wondrous technology substantially upped the surgeon’s precision. Lee shared her initial concerns about robotic surgery, realizing that her health was the priority helped her make the decision.
“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
After the procedure, Lee was sent home on Sunday and has continued to feel better with each passing day. She acknowledged her surgical team for calming her nerves by telling her the robot had been successfully used in other European countries. They walked us through the entire rulemaking process. It promised to be less invasive than other approaches, which made her worry about surgery a little less on the nose.
Stanley Russell, a patient from Herne Bay, has become the second recipient of a robotic procedure at QEQM. This morning, he expressed the same positive reaction to the thorough explanations given by their medical team.
“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
The deployment of robotic surgery at QEQM is a big step forward, with implications for the future of healthcare innovation across the region. Surgeon Sudhaker Mangam stated, “This is such an important development for our local patients on so many levels.”
“This marks a major advancement in surgical capability for east Kent patients, enabling greater precision, improved outcomes, and faster recovery times.” – Sudhaker Mangam
We know that healthcare changes every day. With the QEQM taking on board robotic technology, the Ministry of Health is showing its commitment to provide innovative, evidence based treatments for patients facing life threatening illness and health challenges. As surgical techniques continue to evolve, patients can be hopeful for less invasive and intimidating experiences and outcomes throughout their treatment journeys.