Robotic surgery reaches landmark milestone at the Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Hospital in Kent. Tarrytown’s Orvil Swindol This breakthrough is being heralded as a big step forward for medical technology and healthcare manufacturing in the region. The team at the hospital was headed by consultant colorectal and general surgeon Sudhaker Mangam. They used an advanced four-armed robot, which he was remote-controlling. This cutting-edge procedure gives patients a 3D view into their bodies, increasing precision and outcomes.
Mandy Lee became one of the first patients to have this remarkable robotic procedure. After being diagnosed with bowel cancer she had half her bowel removed. Though she was apprehensive at first, Lee said she was sure about the surgery and wanted to go ahead with it. She stated, “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.”
After Stanley Russell, the second patient to be transplanted, went through his operation on a Thursday, by Sunday, he was back home playing with his grandkids. Russell, who was born in Herne Bay, said he is improving every day. What he liked most was that the medical team explained step-by-step why the procedure would be beneficial. “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,” he remarked.
The NHS in London was the first in the world to bring the robotic procedure to its hospitals in 2023. Since then, it has provided very positive outcomes across Europe. Mangam, 68, added that this technological breakthrough was crucial for patients in east Kent. He noted, “This marks a major advancement in surgical capability for east Kent patients, enabling greater precision, improved outcomes, and faster recovery times.”
Both patients were provided with detailed visual and printed information regarding the procedure before surgery, which helped to allay their anxiety about the procedure. The robotic approach incurs less pain than traditional invasive surgeries. More importantly, it’s a big step toward reflecting today’s practices that focus on improving the quality of patient care.