Nick Samiotis, 54, a long-term patient who was recently diagnosed with oesophageal cancer. He had state-of-the-art robotic surgery at Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital (NNUH) to cure his disease. The historic procedure ended after an incredible 12 hours. Not only did it feature the world famous Da Vinci robotic system, but it was brilliantly conducted by one of the world’s top surgeons, Nicholas Penney.
The Da Vinci robotic surgical system was created to provide more precision in the surgical procedure. So far, nearly all of the surgery has been performed using the robotic system. Still, the surgeon had to manually cut some incisions during surgery. Every surgical instrument used with the robot costs approximately £200. It only works for ten uses total, after which you have to get a new one.
Post-surgery, Samiotis has to adjust to a very different dietary regimen. He will begin with a liquid diet and then advance to soft foods due to his smaller stomach size. He is due for more chemotherapy as a part of their treatment plan. Despite these hurdles, Samiotis was both hopeful and grateful for the speedy recovery.
I’m doing great! As soon as we’re done here, I’m going to walk my dog!” exclaimed Samiotis, an example of his remarkably quick recuperation.
Robotic surgery reduces trauma to the body. As a direct result, patients benefit from a significantly faster recovery time. With traditional open surgery, a patient would be in the hospital for as long as three weeks. It also left a deeper scar. Samiotis mentioned, “Otherwise, you’d end up with this huge scar down the side… it takes a lot longer to recover.”
Samiotis is enjoying the fruits of the robotic procedure. In fact, just nine days after his surgery, he was already back to walking his dog—a testament to his remarkable fortitude. He added, “You’d never know that I had an operation if you weren’t present.”
Samiotis’ family had released a statement of jubilation over his successful surgery. Tabitha, his daughter, reflected on the radical difference in surgical approaches. She remembered her husband’s nurse telling her, “Three years ago this surgery wouldn’t have even occurred.” “Ultimately you have to put your faith in professionals.” She continued, “The surgical team were extraordinary human beings… you just need to stay positive, he’s a fighter.”
Surgeon Nicholas Penney described the boon of the robotic system. He continued, “The gestures we perform are still minaturized, and we can control (move) the instruments like we control our hands — it’s all very fluid. Dr. James Hernon, a surgical specialist said that robotic surgery is “quickly becoming the future of surgical practice.”