At the forefront of two roles, Miss Kat Davies is leading the way in robotic head and neck surgery as well as being a lead for the Cheshire and Merseyside Cancer Alliance – encouraging women to reach for their ambitions as we celebrate International Women’s Day.
In July 2024, Kat, who is a Consultant Head and Neck Surgeon based at Aintree University Hospital, became the first female surgeon in Europe to carry out single port robotic head and neck surgery.
She performed her first successful transoral resection which involved removing a cancerous tumour from her patient’s throat using new single port robotic surgery. With a magnified high-definition view and use of fine instruments for greater precision, the new technology means surgeons can remove tumours from the throat that previously would not have been accessible through the mouth.
Kat, who became a consultant in 2020 and travelled to America in 2022 for intensive surgical training, said: “As the first female in Europe to carry out this operation, I feel it’s important to show trainees and students what is achievable with this tailor-made technology. We’re now looking at different ways we can use the single port robot for other head and neck tumours that we previously might not have been able to remove due to the location of the tumour.”
She added: “I’m pleased I can encourage females aspiring to become surgeons that, with dedication and training, that they can be leading the way in surgery too. It’s still a male-dominated speciality but I’m lucky to be in an organisation that has embraced this technology and wants us to be at the forefront of the robotic programme that benefits our patients.”
Alongside her surgical role, Kat is actively involved in the recruitment of patients to clinical trials, plus is part of the education team delivering medical student teaching within our hospitals.
Kat is also the co-clinical lead of Cheshire and Merseyside Cancer Alliance – which looks at ways to deliver improved patient care. “Liverpool has one of the highest rates of head and neck cancer in the UK due to health inequalities, so it’s really important that our hospitals are working with the community while using the latest technology to offer our patients the best surgical options available,” said Kat.
She added: “We’ve also been working with an AI company to try and improve diagnoses, a patients’ speech, swallowing and airways can all be affected by head and neck cancer, so it can be life-changing if it’s not treated early. We advise people who have a lump in their neck that doesn’t go away, a mouth ulcer that doesn’t heal or a change in their voice to go and see their GP.”