A MAN has thanked the surgeons at a hospital in Bournemouth for giving him ‘a second chance at life’.

Michael Marsh, from Poole, underwent 11-and-a-half-hours of robotic surgery at Royal Bournemouth hospital in September to remove the cancer from his bladder and prostate.

The 76-year-old was successfully operated on using the hospital’s surgical robot- known as Da Vinci- controlled by surgeons Amit Mevcha and Kevin Turner from an operating console in the theatre.

The robot is said to offer a higher degree of vision, control, and dexterity than a human surgeon.

Read more: Dr Robot will see you now at Royal Bournemouth Hospital

Michael said: "Robotic surgery meant in my case, that they could cleanly take out the parts that were suffering with cancer, but not touch anything that they didn’t want to touch."

The ex-pilot had been diagnosed with an advanced and aggressive form of cancer in May of this year.

His wife, Berrin Marsh, likened hearing the diagnosis to being ‘hit by a truck’, especially since Michael had always been fit and well.

But his healthy lifestyle meant that Michael was the perfect candidate for the hospital’s surgical robot, which has been behind thousands of surgeries since it was first introduced in 2013.

Bournemouth Echo: Michael and his family ahead of the surgeryMichael and his family ahead of the surgery (Image: Berrin Marsh)

Berrin said: “On the morning of the surgery, we went to the hospital with the whole family. The hospital said there is an option of him not waking up, and we had to be aware of that.”

Fortunately, Michael’s surgery was successful and ‘uneventful’, as described by surgeons.

Berrin said: “I can’t express my feelings and how much we appreciate everything they have done. It was most amazing.

Read more: Plans for robotic surgery training centre in Poole unveiled

“We are ever so grateful, they gave us a second chance in life, not just Michael, but to us.”

Michael added: “Anybody can get cancer, but if you do, robotic surgery could save you in a way that couldn’t otherwise be possible.”

Now, the couple have plans to fundraise for the hospital and University Hospitals Dorset, to show their gratitude for the ‘life-changing’ surgery.