A cancer patient has praised Addenbrooke’s Hospital after becoming the first to undergo a robot-assisted double operation on both his bowel and liver — a procedure that would normally require two separate surgeries.
Philip Greene, 69, from Ipswich, had already undergone chemotherapy for colon cancer that had spread to his liver. He was selected for the pioneering procedure, which was performed using the hospital’s advanced Da Vinci surgical robot.
“I was blown away by how fast it was all over,” said Mr Greene, a retired field service engineer. “One minute the anaesthetist was talking to me, and the next I was waking up in recovery.”
The operation, carried out on 2 April, left him with only seven small puncture wounds instead of the two large scars typically expected from open surgery. Remarkably, Mr Greene was discharged just three days later.
A First for Cambridge and a Glimpse Into the Future
The dual procedure was led by Mr Siong-Seng Liau, Chair of the Robotic Surgery Steering Group, and Mr Michael Powar, consultant colorectal and robotic surgeon. Mr Powar described the operation as a “collaborative effort,” highlighting that it typically would have required two hospital stays totalling up to ten days.
By combining the procedures into one robot-assisted surgery, the Addenbrooke’s team reduced risk, recovery time and strain on hospital resources — a win for both patients and the NHS.
While Mr Greene took it all in stride, his partner Jan Cobb admitted to being “petrified” beforehand. Her relief was palpable when he returned home swiftly, ready to resume his hobbies of photography and catching up on a 65-day backlog of music.
This groundbreaking procedure follows other robotic milestones at the hospital, including a record-setting “Super Sunday” where ten gall bladder operations were completed in a day.
Addenbrooke’s now operates three surgical robots — two Da Vincis and one Versius — and continues to push boundaries across a wide range of specialities. Its programme is supported by Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust (ACT).
