The Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother (QEQM) Hospital in East Kent has taken a major step forward in surgical delivery. They accomplished the notable achievement of robotic-assisted surgeries on their first patients. Lead surgeon on the pioneering team, consultant colorectal and general surgeon Sudhaker Mangam said the new procedures are “revolutionary.” They incorporated an innovative, remote-controlled robot with four arms, which helped enhance precision and reduce recovery time.
On a Tuesday morning in July, 68-year-old Stanley Russell of Herne Bay, Kent, became the second patient to undergo this groundbreaking procedure. As Sudhaker Mangam began the operation, he viewed a three-dimensional picture inside Russell’s body. This innovation improved precision during the implantation surgery. Russell’s complex but successful surgery led to an expectedly quick recovery, and he went home just three days later, on Sunday.
Sudhaker Mangam emphasized the importance of this technological leap for patients in the region, stating, “This marks a major advancement in surgical capability for east Kent patients, enabling greater precision, improved outcomes, and faster recovery times.”
With the advent of robotic surgery much has been made of this new field, ever since it was introduced by the NHS in London earlier this year. The first patient to undergo such a procedure was Mandy Lee, who had part of her bowel removed after being diagnosed with bowel cancer. Reflecting on her experience, Lee noted, “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.”
The new robotic approach is intended to involve less pain than more invasive surgeries. When Stanley Russell shared his story with us, he couldn’t say enough good things about his medical team and how well they explained the procedure. “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,” he stated.
By every account, robotic surgery has been an unmitigated success across Europe. Despite these relatively subtle changes, its introduction at QEQM is quite a step forward, giving patients in East Kent access to much more modern surgical options. Sudhaker Mangam and his team to continue their mission of advancing surgical care and realizing better patient outcomes with the help of transformative technology.