Robots make ops safer at SGPGI, nearly 200 done in three years

Lucknow: Very complex surgical procedures in children are being made safer with the help of a medical robot at Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGI).Talking to TOI on the sidelines of the ongoing robotic surgery conclave of paediatrics surgeons (Robocops), faculty at the department of paediatric surgical superspecialties, Dr Basant Kumar said, "Over the past three years, nearly 200 children have benefitted from the skill of the doctors combined well with the precision of the medical robot. This puts us among the top four centres in the country on this count".Mentioning that the spectrum of procedures undertaken by SGPGI was wide, he said: "While the youngest baby to be operated upon by us was six months old, weighing just about 5kg, the eldest was 18 years old." He said: "In some areas, SGPGI has become a benchmark. One of the most common procedures we undertake is called choledochal cysts — a kind of congenital malformation which can go on to cause problems like pancreatitis and even cancer if not treated on time. We have repaired the condition in 50 children with over 95% success because of lowered risk and faster recovery." Repair of another congenital condition called pelvi-ureteric junction (PUJ) obstruction has shown good results with the medical robot. "In this condition, a blockage between the kidney and ureter causes life-threatening complications. More than 40 such patients have been treated for this with great outcomes," he said.