Madurai doctors remove tumour from liver of 65-year-old man through robot-assisted surgery

MADURAI: Doctors at a private hospital in Madurai performed robot-assisted liver surgery on a 65-year-old man and successfully removed a tumour. The patient has since made a full recovery.
The Surgical Gastroenterology Department of Meenakshi Mission Hospital and Research Centre (MMHRC) examined the patient who was a 65-year-old man with liver cancer.Doctors subsequently found him to be fit for a liver resection, the surgical procedure to remove the cancer-affected part of the liver.
A team of doctors led by Dr Srinivasan Ramachandran, Senior Consultant, Hepato-biliary surgery along with Dr Mohan, senior consultant, surgical gastroenterology and Dr N Maharajan, senior consultant anesthesiology, performed a less invasive robot-assisted surgery.
Dr Srinivasan said that the traditional open surgical procedures would mean delayed recovery, prolonged hospital stay and increased costs.
“Hence, we chose the minimally invasive, robot assisted surgery with advanced technology (da Vinci surgical system). The robot allows us to perform delicate steps through keyhole surgery, and we can remove the specimen with a small cut in the lower abdomen. The system also provides a magnified, 3D view of the surgical site and helps the surgeon operate with precision, flexibility and control. The patient experienced less pain and had no postoperative problems,” he explained. The patient was discharged in just five days post the surgery.
Dr Ramesh Ardhanari, medical director, MMHRC said that excessive alcohol consumption, obesity, diabetes, chronic infection with the hepatitis B or hepatitis C virus are some of the causes of irreversible liver damage and increase the risk of liver cancer. “People with Hepatitis B or C infection and liver can consider screening for liver cancer for its early diagnosis. Fatty liver, a condition which refers to extra fat in the liver, is also a major risk factor,” he added.