68-year-old Stanley Russell, who lives in Herne Bay, has hit the headlines for throwing a regular kerfuffle. He was the second patient to receive a new pioneering robotic surgery at the Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother Hospital (QEQM) in Margate. Colorectal and General Surgeon Sudhaker Mangam acted as the lead surgeon on this pioneering operation. It’ll improve patient care throughout east Kent.
Russell’s surgery comes after the robot’s first operation in the NHS in London earlier this year. The innovative system features four arms that are operated remotely by the surgeon, providing a 3D view inside the patient’s body. This offers increased accuracy in the course of the procedures, resulting in better results and quicker recovery times.
Mandy Lee, a patient at QEQM, had robotic surgery to remove a section of her bowel. She was given this value-based treatment after being diagnosed with stage 4 bowel cancer. She shared that she was very scared at the idea of the procedure but decided that the health risk came first.
“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
After her Friday surgery, Lee was released on Sunday and said she felt better each day. Her medical team put her at ease by telling her that the robot had regularly been used successfully on other parts of Europe. They shared remarkable outcomes from those experiences.
Russell agreed with Lee’s assessment of the advantages of robotic surgery. He was thankful for the clear, step-by-step explanations given by the medical team, which put his mind at ease.
“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
Sudhaker Mangam, MD, underscored the importance of this development for patients in the region.
“This marks a major advancement in surgical capability for east Kent patients, enabling greater precision, improved outcomes, and faster recovery times.” – Sudhaker Mangam
The launch of robotic surgeries at QEQM is a wonderful step forward for the region’s medical technology. Today, patients can take advantage of these more “less invasive” procedures that offer faster recoveries and even better surgical outcomes.