Patient amazed after undergoing first robot-assisted double operation at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge
A cancer patient has undergone the first robot-assisted double operation to be carried out at Addenbrooke’s Hospital.
After the joint bowel and liver operation, Philip Green said: “I was blown away by how fast it was all over.”
The 69-year-old was amazed by how smooth it was and how little pain he was in afterwards.
“One minute the anaesthetist was explaining I’d soon drift off, and the next I was waking up in recovery and looking at a chap in the bed opposite,” he said.
“It was like a win-win. The surgeons now know they can do the procedure, and I am out of hospital and doing well. I can see how this will benefit other people in the future, and how it could be applied to other kinds of surgeries.”
Philip underwent the operation after his colon cancer spread to his liver. He agreed to the keyhole-style operation, rather than open surgery, which requires smaller incision and therefore adds recovery.
He had already endured three months of gruelling chemotherapy treatment at his local hospital designed to shrink the tumour, which was diagnosed after a routine stool test exposed suspicious results.
He said he did not feel apprehensive or lucky to be chosen for the pioneering surgery at Addenbrooke’s with the Da Vinci robot, but was pleased he could help clinicians progress new techniques.
But his partner, Jan Cobb, was “petrified” - and relieved when came around following his 2 April operation, with just seven small puncture wounds to show for it, rather than the two large scars he would have had with open surgery.
The complex dual operation, carried out by a team of colorectal and hepatobiliary surgeons, was led by the chair of the Cambridge University Hospitals’ robotic surgery steering group (RUG) and hepatobiliary surgeon Siong-Seng Liau and consultant colorectal and robotic surgeon Michael Powar.
Mr Liau said: “Surgery of this sort would normally be completed in two procedures on two separate days, and involve two periods in hospital totalling up to seven to 10 days.
“This is the first time we have done this kind of double robotic surgery procedure, which is extremely rare elsewhere in the country, and we are delighted it was such a success. We are exploring how this technique could be applied to other surgeries.”
Mr Powar added: “This success reflects the seamless teamwork across our specialities, anaesthetic and theatre teams. This is a significant advancement in personalised cancer care for our patients by minimising trauma, reducing complications and enhancing recovery.”
Philip, from Ipswich, is looking forward to getting back to enjoying music and photography.
“Purely going by my experience I would say that if you need surgical interventions then this kind of doubling-up technique is good because it saves two separate operations, and means less time in hospital.
“The team at Addenbrooke’s were absolutely marvellous and made me feel very relaxed in theatre. One asked if I was allergic to anything and I replied: ‘robotic surgery’. It was a funny moment!”
It comes not long after ‘Super Sunday’, when Addenbrooke’s carried out a record 10 robot-assisted gall bladder operations in a day.
The hospital has two da Vinci robots, made by Intuitive, and one Versius robot, from Impington-based CMR Surgical.
They are used across surgical specialities including ear, nose and throat (ENT); gynaecology, gynae-oncology, hepato-pancreato-biliary (HPB), colorectal, urology, upper gastrointestinal and benign gynaecological.
One of the robots was funded by a successful £1.5million Buy A Robot appeal from Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust supported by the Cambridge Independent.
Learn more about the charity at act4addenbrookes.org.uk.
