First patients have surgery using robot at hospital

The first patients have had surgery using a multi-million-pound robot at a hospital in Kent.

At the Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother (QEQM) Hospital in Margate, Mandy Lee was the first person to have a robotic procedure using the system, named Hugo.

Lee, who was diagnosed with bowel cancer, said: "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."

Consultant colorectal and general surgeon Sudhaker Mangam, who led the procedure, said: "This marks a major advancement in surgical capability for east Kent patients, enabling greater precision, improved outcomes, and faster recovery times."

Lee, who had part of her bowel removed, said she was assured that the robot had been used elsewhere in Europe with good results.

The robot has four arms that are operated remotely by the surgeon, who has a 3D-view inside the patient's body.

It was first used by the NHS in London in 2023.

Stanley Russell, from Herne Bay, was the second patient to have a robotic procedure at the QEQM.

He also had part of his bowel removed after doctors found a small growth which was cancerous.

The 68-year-old said: "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.

"I had the operation on a Thursday, and went home on the Sunday, and I'm feeling better every day."

The NHS National Cancer Plan aims to increase the number of robotic surgeries for cancer patients from 70,000 a year to 500,000 by 2035.

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