Liz Thomas, a retired headteacher from Chepstow in south Wales, faced major health challenges that would’ve required a full bowel resection. At the time, the advanced Speedboat™ procedure she needed wasn’t available through NHS Wales.
Fortunately, Liz’s husband Jim, who had previously worked at Creo Medical, was aware that the Speedboat™ procedure could be an option, and helped her access the treatment privately, through Creo Medical. Thanks to this timely intervention, Liz was able to avoid major surgery and make a quick recovery.
The journey to diagnosis
Liz experienced a strange pain in her side and consulted a specialist in Newport, south Wales, who ordered a computed tomography (CT) scan. The scan revealed a small stone in her bile duct and a thickening in her cecum, the first part of the large intestine, which raised concerns. A second CT scan confirmed the presence of a lesion, and a colonoscopy was recommended in order to take a biopsy.
Liz and her husband, familiar with the Speedboat™ procedure through Creo Medical, booked an appointment privately with Dr Zach Tsiamoulos at the Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother (QEQM) hospital in Kent. Despite the consultant in Newport recommending a full bowel resection, Liz trusted Dr Tsiamoulos’ recommendation to proceed with the non-invasive Speedboat™ procedure.
“After the consultant in Newport contacted my GP, she asked to see me. I explained I was aware of the Speedboat procedure, but she recommended going ahead with a full bowel resection, which would have meant major surgery to remove part of my bowel. She felt it would be a more definitive way to ensure the entire lesion was removed. But I’d already spoken with Dr Tsiamoulos, and I felt confident that the non-invasive Speedboat procedure was the right option for me. Looking back, I’m very glad I made that decision.”
Creo Medical’s Speedboat procedure and recovery
The Speedboat™ procedure was scheduled for three months later. Liz had no symptoms, making the early detection fortunate, especially given her family history of bowel cancer. The procedure went smoothly, with Dr Tsiamoulos successfully removing the lesion in one go. Liz's recovery was excellent, with no special diet required and minimal disruption to her daily life.
“My recovery was excellent. There was no special diet required, just soft foods for a day or so, and no pain or significant recovery time. Within a few days, I was back to looking after my grandchildren and even baked my grandson’s birthday cake the night I got home. I was back to normal very quickly.”
The biopsy confirmed the lesion was a sessile tubular adenoma, a flattened broad-based, tube-shaped polyp in the large intestine that isn’t cancerous now, but has the potential to become cancerous in the future if left untreated, which is why doctors usually recommend removing it. Liz will have follow-up colonoscopies to ensure her continued health.
Liz's experience with the Speedboat™ procedure was overwhelmingly positive. She avoided major surgery, experienced minimal recovery time, and received outstanding care from Dr Tsiamoulos and the hospital team.
“Dr Tsiamoulos was outstanding. He gave us complete confidence from the start. The whole team was excellent, and I can’t speak highly enough of the care I received. Everything about the Speedboat procedure - from the lack of stitches and pain to the fast recovery - was just fantastic.”
Click here to watch Liz’s interview, and to learn more about her story.
Since Liz Thomas’ journey to diagnosis and treatment, Speedboat™ technology has been adopted in Wales and is treating other patients like Liz. Find out more here.
