Patients at the Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother (QEQM) Hospital in Kent have begun receiving the benefits from a new frontier in surgical practice. The arrival of robotic surgery is revolutionizing their treatment journey. Surgeon Sudhaker Mangam, who spearheaded the team, successfully operated on the first two patients. They fit her with an advanced robotic system that allows for increased accuracy and faster recovery.
On Thursday, Oct. 26, the 68-year-old Lee became the first patient to benefit from a robotic procedure at QEQM. Diagnosed with bowel cancer, the operation had to remove part of her bowel. Lee shared her initial concern over robotic surgery, but then made the decision to focus on getting healthy and restored.
“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
Mangam runs an expensive surgical robot that works with 4 robotic arms. As he does, he gets a completely new 3D view through the patient’s body. This transformative technology creates new possibilities for more precision and less invasive approaches than ever with traditional surgeries.
Stanley Russell, of Herne Bay, succeeded Lee as the second patient to have the pioneering robotic procedure. He reiterated Lee’s praise for the encouraging and honest atmosphere fostered by the 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
Wanting to avoid an extended hospital stay, and believing she was ready, Lee went home on the Sunday — just three days after the procedure. She said that she notices improvement on a daily basis. This development matches the parking space provided by the surgical team’s hopes for her recovery.
“For patients in east Kent this is big news.
“This marks a major advancement in surgical capability for east Kent patients, enabling greater precision, improved outcomes, and faster recovery times.” – Sudhaker Mangam
It was the first robotic procedure of its kind to be pioneered by the NHS in London, earlier this year. Since then, it has yielded impressive results in other European cities. Given that success, patients like Lee and Russell can be even more confident in its effectiveness.
QEQM Hospital recently added robotic surgery. This major invention change greatly enhances quality and efficiency of patient care and surgical results delivered to patients in the region. Continuous innovation in healthcare technology is helping to redefine the patient experience. Patients are already beginning to see improved experiences and quicker recovery times along their health care journeys.