Patient testimonial: Lifesaving emergency robotic surgery at Cromwell Hospital

“I have visited many top-class hospitals globally and can say that Cromwell Hospital is up there. Terrific customer service with competent healthcare professionals and a world-class facility.”

Whilst on holiday in London, Mr A developed abdominal pain and sought medical advice at Cromwell Hospital.

In September 2024, Mr A had undergone surgery for stomach cancer in Turkey. Since then, he had been complaining of abdominal discomfort and excessive belching after eating and had not been able to progress his diet fully because of this. He saw Dr Andrew Gaya, Consultant Oncologist at Cromwell Hospital, who found no evidence of recurrence of the cancer on CT scan, but there was a significant incisional hernia containing large bowel. He therefore referred Mr A on to Professor Shaun Preston, Consultant Surgeon at Cromwell Hospital. “I repaired the incisional hernia but was concerned that his symptoms had not completely resolved.”

When Mr A then developed further abdominal pain and vomiting, Prof Preston shares “I arranged an emergency CT scan which demonstrated an internal hernia and occlusion of the major vein draining the intestines that had not evident on the prior scan.”

Mr A explains “The scan revealed the time bomb; the twisted intestine and distressed vein that potentially saved my life!”

Professor Preston performed lifesaving emergency surgery using Cromwell Hospital’s da Vinci Xi robot, which is a robotic-assisted surgical system that improves patient recovery and enhances surgical strategy, to fix the internal hernia.

He found that the small intestines had been reconstructed with a 360-degree twist at the time of the gastric cancer surgery, which explained the ongoing symptoms and failure to progress. Using advanced robotic surgery, Prof Preston was able to take down the prior surgery and reconstruct the intestines, correcting the prior twist, and closed the space where the internal hernia had occurred. This major surgery was completed without the need for a cut in the abdomen larger than 12mm.

Prof Preston stated, “We immediately scheduled an operation to fix this, and I am pleased to say the Mr A has recovered well and was able to return home.”

Internal hernias can occur after any surgery where the bowel has been divided and a gap left in the mesentery (the fatty tissue that carries blood to the bowel), such as weight loss surgery (gastric bypass) or after stomach cancer surgery.

 “Internal hernias can be very difficult to identify, even on CT scan. To avoid disaster, a high index of suspicion and timely intervention are essential”. Prof Preston shared.

Prof Shaun Preston is a distinguished general surgeon and has an international reputation in the fields of oesophageal, gastric and robotic surgery. He uses the advanced robotic skills to perform complex surgery on the stomach, oesophagus, hiatus hernias and abdominal wall hernias. 

“I will be most delighted to recommend Prof Preston anytime to anyone who desires an experienced, thorough, and compassionate gastric surgeon. Prof Preston is one of the best in his field.  And, I also dare say, that he has one of the best secretaries in Andreea Onet.” Mr A commented, “Whilst handling my case, he demonstrated a very high level of professionalism, confidence, and an unmatched mastery of his field.”