BEING asked “would you mind if the robot took this one on?” isn’t what most patients would expect to be asked at hospital.
The question would even raise eyebrows if directed to someone in a sci-fi film.
Yet robot surgery is fast becoming the norm for many operations at Colchester Hospital.
And for those undergoing gynaecological operations, the less invasive and more precise surgery is just what the doctor ordered.
The robot looks like an octopus, with several arms used to enter patient’s torso at different points in a fashion similar to keyhole surgery.
Then the surgeon sits at a separate console controlling its arms to make the necessary incisions.
For Amy Hook, who lives in Manningtree, the cutting edge technology changed her life after it successfully performed a hysterectomy to remove her uterus.
It followed years of pain due to endometriosis and adenomysis the 33-year-old was suffering.
“I’ve suffered years of crippling pain and heavy periods back since I was a teenager, said Amy.
“I quickly thought what I was experiencing couldn’t be normal and by 23 I was diagnosed with stage three to four endometriosis and adenomysis.
“I’ve had various treatment, including previous operations and being put into a medical menopause, but despite treatment, the problems and pain continued.
“It’s been a rollercoaster, physically and emotionally, and I’ve had fertility counselling.”
Amy explained having a hysterectomy had been on the cards for a while, admitting it was “an inevitable stage I’d get to”.
But it didn’t make the major procedure any less daunting for her to consider undergoing.
She spoke with Barry Whitlow, who is the consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist at the trust which runs Colchester Hospital, and decided to put herself on the list aged 30.
Amy continued: “I hit 30 and having had seven years of hell since my diagnosis, I spoke to my consultant Barry Whitlow and he agreed to put me on the list.
“He’s been fantastic and completely understood I’d tried everything else. We talked through the operation and he said he’d use robot surgery.
“I was fine with that and had my operation this summer.
“I vaguely remember hearing my surgeon tell me that the op had taken longer than expected as the endometriosis was worse than anticipated and things were quite stuck together.
“My womb, cervix and fallopian tubes were removed, and endometriosis excised from my bladder, kidney tubes, and various areas in my pelvic cavity.
“I was in hospital for one night afterwards and felt I’d healed amazingly well.
“I was tender the second week but in a lot less pain than the other procedures I’ve had done. I’d definitely recommend robot surgery to someone else if they have a choice.”
It was a job well done for Barry, who champions robotic surgery at the East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust.
He said moving towards using robots for treating conditions such as endometriosis offers many benefits for patients.
He added: “It’s great to know Amy felt the positive benefits of robotic surgery. Our data shows it’s quicker with robots and patients stay in hospital for less time.
“Not only is that positive for them to be able to recover at home, it’s also helps us be able to treat other patients quicker too.
“Performing the procedure robotically in our centre has also shown outcomes are significantly better too.”
You can read more about Amy’s experience on her blog It’s Not the Endo The World by visiting bit.ly/45s9BEw.
Share