Robotic surgeries play saviour for the aged

KOCHI: Septuagenarians look forward to spending time with family and the fruits of retirement. However, it was not the case with a 74-year-old diagnosed with ovarian cancer which recurred three years later and detected during a follow-up check up in 2017. At age 77, chemotherapy was not advisable, and surgical removal of a tumour was the only option left. The patient was apprehensive and reluctant about the surgery, given her previous experience, which was not encouraging. That’s when Dr Anupama R., clinical professor, gynecologic oncology, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences here, suggested robotic surgery. The affected area was completely removed using robotic assisted surgery, da Vinci Surgical System. This time around, the patient was discharged on the next day as the procedure was completely pain-free.

“Contrary to popular belief, in such surgeries, the surgeon uses the robot as a tool to perform the surgery, and it's not an automated process. The advantage of using robotic surgery is the short, sometimes unimaginable, recovery period which is shorter than routine laparoscopic procedure. However, robotic technology with its better vision and small and precise instruments helps the surgeon perform complicated surgeries with minimum tissue damage since oncologic surgeries are more complex than routine gynecologic surgeries. The use of robotic surgery translates into a shorter hospital stay, lesser fatigue and faster recovery for the patient. Additionally, the duration of the surgery on an average is one to two hours,” said the doctor. In countries like the US and UK, robotic surgery is being offered even for routine procedures, and slowly even India is catching up.