The first patients have had surgery using a multi-million-pound robot at a hospital in Kent.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.”<\/p>\n
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.”<\/p>\n
Lee, who had part of her bowel removed, said she was assured that the robot had been used elsewhere in Europe with good results.<\/p>\n
The robot has four arms that are operated remotely by the surgeon, who has a 3D-view inside the patient’s body.<\/p>\n
It was first used by the NHS in London in 2023.<\/p>\n
Stanley Russell, from Herne Bay, was the second patient to have a robotic procedure at the QEQM.<\/p>\n
He also had part of his bowel removed after doctors found a small growth which was cancerous.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
“I had the operation on a Thursday, and went home on the Sunday, and I’m feeling better every day.”<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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