The 33-year-old from Bath was astonished when tests revealed she had a 12cm tumor growing on her liver, but luckily, it was benign. As a previous thyroid cancer survivor, she was determined to beat this second health battle, and with the help of the Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust, she faced her fears and underwent a life-saving operation.
Surgeons at the NHS trust used a robotic procedure to remove the tumor, and Ms. Ucar was left amazed at the speed of her recovery — just eight weeks later, she was able to walk up the aisle in her dream wedding dress.
The tumor was a surprise discovery for the Surrey University Ph.D. student, who had been suffering from nausea and reflux after eating meals for years. She attributed her symptoms to an overly sensitive stomach, but tests revealed the true cause.
Ms. Ucar is now one of many success stories of robotic surgery, a field of medicine that has seen rapid advances in recent years. As well as offering a faster recovery time and improved accuracy, the technology has enabled doctors to perform operations that would have been impossible just a few years ago.
The procedure used in Ms. Ucar’s case has been called as a major step in robotics-assisted surgery and clearly indicates progress in the field.
Ultimately, Ms. Ucar realized her dream of getting married on her terms, and she is thankful for the treatment she received. “They promised that I would walk in my wedding dress, and they were not wrong,” she said.