Kurukshetra
15 February 2023
DIVYA AZAD
An 82-year-old woman had been experiencing chronic pain in the left side of her abdomen along with frequent urination, nausea, and general malaise for quite some time. The Patient had visited a few hospitals for treatment but there was no significant improvement in her health. Worried about the deteriorating condition of the patient, herfamily finally consulted Dr Rohit Dadhwal, Consultant, Department of Urology, Robotic and Laparoscopic Surgery, Fortis Hospital Mohali, in December 2022.
Subsequent medical diagnosis revealed that the Patient had a tumour (5×4 cm) in her left kidney. Considering her old age, Dr Dadhwal suggested that Robot-aided surgery using the 4th Generation robotic machine — Da Vinci Xi, would be the appropriate line of treatment.
The Patient underwent Robot-aided Nephrectomy on 29th December 2022, wherein her left kidney was removed and histopathological evidence showed that the tumour had been excised completely. Post operatively, the Patient was able to walk on the same day of the surgery and discharged thereafter. She has now recovered completely and resumed her daily activities.
In another case, a 74-year-old woman presented with Hematuria (blood in urine) in December 2022. Dr Dadhwal evaluated her medical condition and found a renal mass (abnormal growth) in her left kidney. The Patient underwent Robot-aided Partial Nephrectomy on 5th December last wherein the tumour was removed and 70% of her left kidney was preserved. The Patient had a smooth post-operative recovery and was discharged three days after the procedure on 8th December, 2022. She has also recovered completely and leading a normal life today.
Robot-aided surgery is a form of minimal invasive surgery and provides a 3D view of the operative field via a special camera inserted into the body of the patient. Parts of the body which are difficult to reach with the human hand can be accessed by robot-assisted arms that can rotate 360 degrees. Patients have minimal blood loss, less pain, less scarring, shorter hospital stay and faster recovery.
Discussing the cases, Dr Dadhwal, said, “Robot-aided surgeries have revolutionized healthcare and have been established as the gold standard treatment for prostate and kidney cancers as well as non-cancerous conditions like Pelviureteric Junction Obstruction, deep pelvic and gynaecological procedures.”
