Anjana, a 42-year-old woman diagnosed with tumour in her left kidney, was told by doctors that she needed to have it removed.
Since Anjana wanted to preserve her kidney and, at the same time, get rid of the tumour, she underwent a procedure called Robot-Assisted Partial Nephrectomy (kidney preserving surgery) wherein only the tumour was excised, leaving her kidney intact.She stayed in the hospital for just three days and was able to return to her job within two weeks. Till recently, the treatment of such tumours involved complete removal of the kidney and the tumour. Not anymore, thanks to robot-assisted surgeries.
Surgeries like this have not only cured thousands of patients but also helped boost Bangalore’s
image as a leading medical tourism destination in the country.
Patients with such condition come to bangalore from the world over including the Middle East, Africa, Australia, The Netherlands, Denmark, Russia and Sri Lanka.
Robotic radiation, that was introduced three years ago in the city, contributes to about 20% of the medical tourists. And robotic surgery is boosting medi-tourism in Karnataka.
In fact, not just urology, most of gynaecological surgeries can be done with the help of robots.
Over the past one year, Manipal Hospital has got patients from Africa, Maldives and Sri Lanka enquiring about robotic surgery.
“The robot can be used in the removal of fibroids — myomectomy, removal of uterus, hysterectomy, re-canalisation of fallopian tubes in patients with blocked tubes or when sterilisation is to be reversed, endometriosis surgery and surgery for cervical and uterine cancers,” said Dr Gayathri Karthik, consultant, gynaecology and obstetrics, Manipal Hospital.
She feels the city’s medical image has got a boost thanks to the progress made in this field.
Take the case of Caroline (name changed) from Nigeria, who recently underwent surgery on her uterus, in the city, after being diagnosed with fibroid.
She was advised removal of her uterus, which she was not comfortable with since she wanted another baby. She had heard of robotic surgery and decided to make a trip to Bangalore to undergo the same.She underwent a robot assisted myomectomy by Dr Karthik where two fibroids were removed. She recovered well and left for Africa in 10 days.
Radiation with the help of robots (also called Cyberknife) is another specialisation that has gained popularity among Indian and foreign patients over the past couple of years. According to Dr Sridhar PS, consultant, radiation oncologist, Healthcare Global (HCG), robotic surgery is the future and the country so far has done well to gain expertise in this. “Earlier, we faced the problem where we did not achieve accurate radiation. So if there is a tumour in the lungs, radiation would affect the surrounding areas. However, now with the help of robotic radiation, there is little damage done to the surrounding areas,” he said. Robotic radiation also helps in reaching areas where it is not possible to operate through human hands, he added.
Hence, increasingly for doctors, robotic surgery is becoming an alternative to normal surgery, especially in cases where tumour in pancreas, prostate and lungs is involved. HCG has treated more than 1,000 patients in the past three-and-a-half years. Going by the demand of robotic surgery, other city-based hospitals are also planning to procure this advanced technology.
For instance, BGS Global Hospitals plan to introduce the technology in their hospital shortly.
“The technology of robotic surgery is advancing and soon we are likely to have second generation robotic equipment,” said Dr NK Venkataramana, vice-chairman and chief neurosurgeon, BGS Global Hospitals. “Surgeons are resorting to more and more minimally invasive surgeries wherever possible. The advantages of this technology are minimal damage to tissue and less invasiveness, lesser hospital stay, speedy ambulation of the patient, less pain and cosmetically aesthetic with a smaller scar. Robotics will definitely help to achieve these goals with much more precision,” he said.
source: http://www.dnaindia.com / Daily News & Analysis / Home> Bangalore> Report / by Soumita Majumdar & Suparna Goswami Bhattachary / Place:Bangalore, Agency:DNA / Monday, November 12th, 2012
