When 47-year-old Nick was diagnosed with a rare sarcoma in his chest, he was referred to The Royal Marsden for surgery. After the cancer was removed , he was left with a large hole in his chest which needed reconstruction.
Thanks to funding from The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity, Nick’s surgeon, Mr Khan, was able to use a revolutionary new robot designed for microsurgery – the Symani® Surgical System by MMI (Medical Microinstruments, Inc.) – to carry out the complex reconstructive surgery that Nick needed. The robot’s enhanced precision significantly sped up and improved Nick's recovery.
How the Symani robot works
Symani works by mimicking the movements of the human hand at such a minute scale that tiny vessels can be manipulated and reconnected. It enables greater precision and control, even in hard-to-access places, restoring both movement and appearance of affected areas. The robotic system can speed up recovery, reduce pain and help patients to get back to their lives as soon as possible.
The Royal Marsden is the first hospital in the UK to use this groundbreaking robotic system, and Nick was the first patient to undergo reconstructive surgery with the Symani.
Just a few weeks after surgery, Nick was able to enjoy Christmas with his family and within in a month, he was back doing the things he loves – planning holidays with his daughter and playing golf. Without Symani, surgery like Nick’s would have meant a week in hospital and months of recovery.
Recovery from my surgery has been excellent, and everything is healing really well. I’m certain I wouldn’t be doing as well, or recovering as quickly after such a major operation, if I hadn’t been treated with this new robotic technology
The robot doesn’t just improve recovery time for patients like Nick. Surgeons at The Royal Marsden will carry out pioneering research into Symani’s effectiveness in reconstructive cancer surgery. This will help to set national and international standards of treatment through improved microsurgery techniques for a range of cancers.
Surgeries like Nick’s rely on pioneering techniques, world-leading surgeons and state-of-the-art equipment.