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October 13, 2024
Prince William proved himself his mother’s son today when he observed live surgery for the first time, like Princess Diana did more than 17 years ago.
Dressed in medical scrubs, the Duke of Cambridge observed a breast reconstruction operation and the removal of a cancerous bladder tumour at the Royal Marsden hospital in west London.
He later hailed the ‘incredible’ work of the two surgical teams at the hospital, which he has been president of since 2007.
‘Incredible’: Prince William watched parts of two procedures at the Royal Marsden hospital in west London
The visit closely matched a 1996 visit by Princess Diana to Harefield Hospital in Middlesex, where she too donned surgical clothing to watching a heart operation on a small boy from Cameroon.
This afternoon the Duke witnessed the operations in the hospitals Wolfson Surgical Suite where he was introduced to the operating teams led by surgeons, Mr Stuart James and Mr Pardeep Kumar.
He spent around 10 minutes viewing a breast reconstruction procedure for a female patient in her 60s.
As he was greeted by lead surgeon, Mr James, William said: ‘Its slightly surreal meeting you in this situation.’
Echoes: The Prince was following in the footsteps of Princess Diana, who watched a heart operation at Harefield Hospital in 1996
The Duke looked into a micro-vascular microscope placed above the body as he was talked through the surgical procedure, which usually takes six to eight hours to complete.
‘Thats amazing,’ he said as he peered through the microscope. ‘Thats incredible. Is this fairly major surgery?’
‘Think of it as long rather than major,’ Mr James replied.
The Duke put on a face mask as he moved into a second operating theatre to view surgery to remove a bladder tumour for a male patient in his 80s.
‘Theres space for you on this side,’ Mr Kumar, the lead surgeon, said.
‘Thank you, perfect,’ the Duke replied.
As Mr Kumar explained the procedure, William asked: ‘Thats the whole bladder youve got there? Are you searching for any other signs?’
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‘That’s amazing!’: The Duke spoke of his admiration for the incricate procedure as he watched through a micro-vascular microscope placed above the patient
Interested: Lead surgeon Stuart James, left, explain a breast reconstruction procedure to the Prince, right
William is the first royal to view surgery at the Royal Marsden, which is a world-leading cancer centre specialising in all areas of diagnosis, treatment, care and research into the disease.
He has been president of the hospital trust since 2007, a position previously held by Diana from 1989 until her death in 1997.
The Prince seemed at home as the arrived at the Chelsea site, greeting hospital personnel in front of the main entrance.
He reserved an especially warm welcome to Royal Marsden chief executive Cally Palmer, whom he has known for some years as part of his previous work with the hospital.
Old acquaintance: The Prince seemed especially pleased to see Royal Marsden chief executive Cally Palmer
Mwah! He embraced and kissed Ms Palmer, whom he knows from previous work with the hospital
The Wolfson Surgical Suite was reopened in 2010 following an extensive rebuilding and refurbishment programme after a fire in 2008 devastated the theatre area.
During his visit, the Duke watched a demonstration of the latest radiotherapy technology, CyberKnife, which allows larger doses of the treatment to be delivered because of its improved accuracy and means patients require fewer hospital visits.
The Duke and the Duchess of Cambridge previously opened the trusts cancer unit for children and young people at its hospital in Sutton, south London, in 2011.
Consultant urological surgeon Mr Kumar later praised Williams understanding of the work of his team.
He said: ‘He really had an insight into the kind of work we do. He really understood. The questions he asked were really on the money and were very insightful.’
‘For want of a better word, he did enjoy himself.
Peering: William observed each procedure for around ten minutes
Peering: William observed each procedure for around ten minutes
‘The Royal Marsden offers one of the most comprehensive ranges of bladder reconstruction surgeries in the country.
‘The Duke was fascinated by the procedure and the intricacies of the surgery and it was a privilege to talk him through the surgery and its benefits.
Consultant plastic surgeon Mr James, 43, said the royal visit had not been a distraction during the procedure.
He said: ‘The priority is looking after the patient. This sort of operation is slow, meticulous and very careful.
A spokeswoman for the Royal Marsden confirmed that both operations had gone well so far and continued after the Dukes departure.
Source Mail Online