The Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Hospital (QEQM) in Margate has captured the imagination! It is now one of the first hospitals in East Kent to adopt robotic surgery. This upstream model was first tested through its original procedures in patients with complex, serious behavioral and medical conditions. Stanley Russell from Herne Bay and Mandy Lee both successfully underwent robotic surgeries. In doing so, their victories raised the bar for cutting-edge medical treatment in the area.
Mandy Lee, who was diagnosed with bowel cancer, became the first patient at the QEQM to have part of her bowel removed using the robotic system. Though Lee underwent an intensive procedure, she was released a mere three days post-op, on a Sunday, no less. She said that each day, post-op, she felt better than before. The technique was performed using a state-of-the-art four-armed robotic system, completely controlled by a highly trained surgeon.
Sudhaker Mangam, the surgeon responsible for Lee’s ground-breaking operation, has underlined the importance of this new technology. Most importantly, he highlighted the fact that the robotic system provides a holistic 3D view of the patient’s body. This added functionality allows for greater accuracy while operating.
“This marks a major advancement in surgical capability for east Kent patients, enabling greater precision, improved outcomes, and faster recovery times.” – Sudhaker Mangam
Stanley Russell succeeded Lee as the second patient to undergo this amazing new surgical operation. In his own words, read about how he overcame his first fear about robotic surgery and decided to put his health first. His surgical team promised him that the robotic procedure would be a more comfortable alternative than traditional invasive techniques.
“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
Robotic-assisted surgery was only recently brought to QEQM. This new development builds on its first use by the NHS in London earlier this year. By choosing to adopt this advanced technology, East Kent has made a strong statement about the value of adopting technology to improve patient care. Now, hospitals are learning to adapt those techniques to their surgical suites. In effect, patients such as Lee and Russell will have faster recovery times with less post-operative pain.