The Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother Hospital (QEQM) recently celebrated a significant milestone in a recent surgical first. They’ve now completed their inaugural robotic surgeries with great success! On a recent Thursday, 68-year-old Mandy Lee underwent a highly automated procedure to remove a section of her bowel. This surgery became unavoidable after she was diagnosed with bowel cancer. That groundbreaking surgery is now part of an exciting new initiative. Its goal is to improve patient outcomes and increase recovery times across east Kent.
Lee’s procedure was performed by Consultant Colorectal and General Surgeon Sudhaker Mangam. To perform this surgery, he powered up a state-of-the-art robot that uses four remotely operated arms. This technology helps provide enhanced precision throughout the operation, providing the surgeon with a 3D perspective inside the patient’s body. Lee admits to being skeptical about what he calls the “robotic approach” at first. Before long her attention went to her intense wish to rid cancer from her world.
“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
Sixteen years ago, before the operation even began, the healthcare team actively engaged Lee in an understanding of the procedure. They promised him it wouldn’t hurt as much as standard invasive surgeries. Even though it was the sign encouragement that swayed her, all of this reassurance mattered a lot too.
Lee’s surgery was part of a broader rollout of robotic procedures, which the NHS first introduced in London in 2023. Following her successful surgery on Saturday, Lee was discharged and went home on Sunday. She’s on the mend and doing better every day!
Stanley can be found living in Herne Bay. He was treated recently as the second-ever patient given robotic surgery at QEQM Hospital. He reiterated Lee’s praise for how clear and upfront the medical staff was about the surgery they would be performing.
“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 further emphasized the impact of this technological development for his patients at home.
“This marks a major advancement in surgical capability for east Kent patients, enabling greater precision, improved outcomes, and faster recovery times.” – Sudhaker Mangam
The rollout of robotic surgery at QEQM Hospital is an encouraging development for patients with health conditions like cancer and morbid obesity. By using better techniques and technologies, we have the opportunity to provide patients with better care and a more successful recovery journey through their treatment journey.