The Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Hospital (QEQM) in the UK has taken a courageous step in surgical innovation. We are particularly proud of their success in achieving their first robotic surgery procedures! Senior consultant colorectal and general surgeon Sudhaker Mangam, who performed the first two operations, said it was a momentous occasion for patients in east Kent.
Mandy Lee, shown here with Rodgers, was one of the first patients to have the robotic procedure. After her diagnosis of bowel cancer, doctors removed half of her bowel. While she shared her early concerns with robotic surgery, in the end she made her health the priority.
“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
The robotic system used in these surgeries has four arms, which the surgeon controls remotely. This technology increases precision and provides a three-dimensional picture of what is going on inside the patient’s body. In doing so, surgeons achieve greater clarity and contrast in the operating room.
On a Thursday, Lee had the surgery. Before Sunday was over, he was home, demonstrating one of the major benefits of robotic surgery—the quicker recovery time. This approach is a lot less traumatic than other invasive surgical interventions. This consideration was an important part of Stanley Russell’s decision to proceed with the surgery.
Retired Stanley Russell, 68, from Herne Bay, was the second patient to have the robotic surgery at QEQM. Before his procedure, the healthcare team went through all of the procedure’s positive effects.
“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
Surgeon Sudhaker Mangam underscored the importance of this new capability to local patients. He stated, “This marks a major advancement in surgical capability for east Kent patients, enabling greater precision, improved outcomes, and faster recovery times.”
The first robotic surgery has taken place at QEQM. This comes after its successful rollout at other NHS venues, where the technology was originally rolled out in London in early 2023. We were not surprised to hear of hospitals from all over Europe who were getting good results with similar procedures. This news comforted Lee and Russell as they navigated their treatment options.