GUWAHATI, March 26 - With the adoption of the da Vinci surgical robot at the Dr B Borooah Cancer Institute (BBCI) here on Friday, the new-age technology is expected to revolutionise surgical procedures for not just cancer patients, but for almost any kind of operation, particularly those requiring better precision.
While this marks the first time that a surgical robot has been installed at a hospital in the North East, robot-assisted surgery is the buzzword across the globe, with more and more countries adopting the technology.
�Robot-assisted minimally invasive surgery enables a high degree of precision and control, besides magnified 3-D vision for removal of cancerous tissues and tumours. Robotic surgery minimises blood loss, dramatically reducing post-operative recovery time and costs,� Dr Sanjay Gogoi, India�s leading robotic surgeon and Director and HoD of Urology & Renal Transplant, Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurgaon, told The Assam Tribune.
Dr Gogoi, who shared his experience of performing robotic surgeries on hundreds of urology cancer patients with doctors from the North East during a meet in the city on Friday evening, also gave a visual presentation on how the surgical robot (which is totally controlled by the user) with its four arms, can reach organs and areas where human fingers cannot.
�The three-dimensional high-definition view that can be magnified manifold helps the surgeons achieve unmatched precision that prevents collateral damage to healthy tissue. Surgical robots combine the best of science, engineering and medicine,� he added.
According to Dr Gogoi, surgical robots are being used in almost all specialities involving soft body tissues. �It is also extremely conducive for operations on infants and children. Precision, vision and control are three clear advantages over conventional and laparoscopic surgery. It is, in a way, an extension of laparoscopic surgery. It�s time to take robotic surgery to the masses,� he added.
As of now, around 50 hospitals of the country are into robotic surgery, the break-up being South India � 15, North India � 20, West India � 12, and East India � 1, while the North East has just entered the robotic surgery map.
Dr AC Kataki, Director of the Dr B Borooah Cancer Institute (BBCI), which organised the doctors� interactive meet on robotic surgery, stressed the need for popularising robotic surgery as �it scores over conventional surgery and has proven superior outcomes, especially for urology, oncology, gynaecology and general surgery, besides head and neck surgery.�
�Cancer patients from neighbouring States will also benefit from robotic surgeries once more hospitals equip themselves with da Vinci surgical robots. For promoting robotic surgery, we need to train doctors on robotic surgery, which is quite simple actually,� he added.
Gopal Chakravarthy, CEO of Vattikuti Technologies, which has provided the da Vinci surgical robot in around 50 Indian hospitals, feels the time has come to showcase the advanced technology beyond large metros.
�Robotic surgery in India has established value with documented superior patient outcomes and efficacy, with nearly 50 Government, corporate and trust hospitals adopting the da Vinci surgical robot. We can already see a huge momentum among patients, healthcare providers as well as surgeons. Many specialist cancer hospitals like the Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute, Kidwai Memorial Hospital and Delhi State Cancer Institute too have been using the da Vinci robotic system,� he said.
He added that the demonstration of the surgical robot to a large audience of Indian surgeons in Guwahati would not just create awareness about robotic surgery and its contribution in superior patient outcomes, but also about its ease of use.
