The Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Hospital (QEQM) in East Kent has taken a significant step forward in surgical innovation. On that recent Thursday, the 68-year-old Lee was undergoing a robotic-assisted surgery to remove a cancerous growth on part of her bowel. This made her the first patient to experience this state-of-the-art technology. The operation was performed under the direction of consultant colorectal and general surgeon Sudhaker Mangam.
Lee, who has since been diagnosed with bowel cancer, shared that she was nervous at first when it came to robotic surgery. She was encouraged after hearing how well it had worked across the pond in Europe.
“It was a bit of a scary thought, I hadn’t even considered the possibility of robotic surgery, I just wanted the cancer gone and I wasn’t put off,” Lee stated.
The robotic system used in her surgery includes four arms that the surgeon controls remotely. This advanced surgical technology offers greater accuracy in the operating room, providing the surgeon with a three-dimensional look inside the patient’s body. In the opinion of Mangam, this progress marks a pivotal step for patients across East Kent.
“This marks a major advancement in surgical capability for east Kent patients, enabling greater precision, improved outcomes, and faster recovery times,” Mangam noted.
Mr Stanley Russell was the second patient ever to have a robotic procedure at QEQM. He unanimously agreed with Lee, complimenting the surgical team’s clarity. He shared that the staff did an excellent job explaining the process and their advantages to him before having his own surgery.
The team made it clear from the outset how the process would work. They promised me it would hurt a lot less than having a new, more invasive surgery done, which sounded great to me. Russell remarked.
The family considers Lee’s surgery a success and were thrilled to return home just three days later, on Sunday. She has written that she’s been improving, getting better each day since the surgery. One major detail that the team focused on is how this surgical technique results in less pain. As with other noninvasive traditional techniques, it encourages faster recovery times.
The rollout of robotic surgery at QEQM comes after the NHS first adopted the use of robots in London earlier this year. Technology is changing extremely quickly. This development will provide millions of patients with less invasive alternatives to intricate surgical operations.