For Samantha Knight, robotic-assisted surgery didn’t just save her life, it allowed her to continue living the life she wanted. Without it, Samantha doesn’t even want to think about what her future may have looked like.
“My tumour was in the middle of my lung, at a junction between my upper and lower lobe. It wasn’t easy to access so, initially, the surgical team believed they would have to take my whole lung.
“No one wants that to happen, but for me it would have been disastrous. I have worked for airlines since my early 20s. It is my dream career.
“But you’re up there for hours at a time, working in altitudes which can affect your lung capacity and also your blood oxygen. If I’d have had my whole lung removed, that would have been the end of my flying career – and I’m not sure what my life would look like without it.
“I did have very dark days. I thought I’d lose my job. I’d just bought a house, so I worried how I’d pay my mortgage, so I was determined to find another way. Then I met Mr Granato.
“Mr Granato was the first person to suggest removing my tumour via robotic-assisted surgery. It was a breath of fresh air. Within a month, I had the diagnosis verified and a surgery date confirmed.
“I remember waking up from the operation. I was still groggy from the anaesthetic, but I can clearly recall what Mr Granato said to me, that they were able to just take half of the lung and they had clear margins. I was overjoyed and so relieved.
“Having robotic-assisted surgery saved a huge operation and also meant my recovery was so much quicker. I was only in hospital for a couple of days and within a matter of weeks, I was back at the gym – after, of course, consulting with my medical team. Within three-four months, I was back at work and back in the air.
“I want to commend my medical team, and especially Mr Granato. I feel without them, things could have turned out to be very different and I could have been a shell of a person. They saved my life and gave it back to me just as I had left it.
“A year to the day after my surgery, my partner and I took part in a desert island survival challenge through work. We were cast away to Panama and given basic survival training then had to survive for a week.
“It was an incredible experience and gave me the opportunity to reflect on the past 12 months. It made me realise how far I’d come – and I’m so grateful for how everything turned out.”