Delhi hospital removed cancerous pancreas using robotic arms
Doctors at a hospital in Delhi have removed a cancerous pancreas from a 40 year old woman using robotic arms which performed an open surgery. The success of the operation signifies a major step forward in laparoscopic surgery, and due to the complexities involved in the procedure, it is rarely performed in India. The procedure took 15 hours to complete with the robot's assistance and the woman is said to be recovering well post-surgery. The robotic arm significantly increases precise manoeuvring during surgery, leaving less room for human error and can avoid complications post-surgery.

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New Delhi: Doctors at a Delhi hospital have successfully removed cancerous pancreas from a 40-year-old woman without an open surgery. They used robotic arms to detach the diseased organ and drew it out through the vagina.It is a major achievement as laparoscopic surgery for the removal of pancreas-surgeons call it 'tiger's territory' due to the complexities involved-is rarely done in India. Even abroad, only a few centres use the ' Whipple procedure ' or minimally invasive surgery for the removal of pancreatic cancer , and fewer still do it with robots. The successful operation at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital is being seen as a breakthrough, therefore."We did not even cut open the abdomen to take out the tumour. It was taken out through the vagina, which helped reduce damage to the surrounding vessels," said Dr Brij Bhushan Agarwal, vice chairman, department of laparoscopic and general surgery at SGRH.In the Whipple procedure, a cancerous pancreas is removed without damaging the main blood vessels, small intestine and the bile duct around it.Dr Agarwal said open surgery takes nearly 10 hours and even with a robot's assistance the Whipple procedure took more than 15 hours to complete. "It was the first time we did the procedure with robot assistance so it took longer. We took breaks to plan the steps for surgery and at times prayed for its successful outcome," he added.The patient, a 40-year-old woman from Uttam Nagar in west Delhi, is said to be doing fine post-surgery. "She was discharged on the sixth day after the procedure. Her clinical and lab parameters are fine and she has resumed her household duties too," Dr Agarwal said.Dr S K Sarin, director of Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS), said the successful surgery with a robot is a landmark achievement. "It is the future of pancreatic cancer surgery. With careful selection of patients and the right expertise, it can help save more lives."Cancer of the pancreas is uncommon and usually diagnosed late, said Dr P K Julka, professor of oncology at AIIMS, adding, "The five-year survival rate is between 10.7% and 27%, depending on the spread of the tumour. Surgery to remove the diseased pancreas in the early stages can improve the chances of survival."Robotic arms allow precise manoeuvring through the patient's body. Also, suturing of the organs, which is crucial for avoiding complications post-procedure, is done accurately. "In an open surgery, I had to sit for 10-12 hours at a stretch to perform the procedure which was tiring. But a robot helps in teamwork since all the surgeons involved in the case are able to view each and every step clearly on the monitor attached to the robot," said Dr Agarwal.