State’s first robotic pancreatic surgery done at IGIMS

Patna: In a major boost to advanced cancer care in Bihar, doctors at Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (IGIMS) successfully performed the state’s first robotic surgery for pancreatic cancer. The robotic surgery, which lasted around six hours, was performed at a package cost of Rs 50,000 on Tuesday. Doctors said he is recovering well and is likely to be discharged on Thursday if there are no complications.

Medical superintendent Dr Manish Mandal said the procedure was carried out on a 71-year-old man from Wajidpur in Darbhanga district, who had been suffering from jaundice and fever for nearly two months. The patient had consulted several doctors in Darbhanga and Patna before approaching IGIMS about a week ago at the OPD of Dr Rakesh Kumar Singh in the gastrointestinal surgery department. Subsequent blood tests and a CT scan of the abdomen confirmed pancreatic cancer.

Dr Singh, associate professor of GI surgery, said, “Pancreatic cancer surgery is among the most complex surgical procedures and usually takes a long time, whether done through open surgery or laparoscopy. Such operations are often associated with significant blood loss and generally require prolonged ICU care and ventilator support post-surgery.”

The robotic surgery, which lasted around six hours, was performed on Tuesday. The patient was kept under observation in the ICU for 24 hours and was shifted to the general ward on Wednesday after his condition remained stable. Doctors said he is recovering well and is likely to be discharged on Thursday if there are no complications.

Deputy director Dr Vibhuti Prasanna Sinha lauded the achievement and congratulated the GI surgery team, anaesthesia team and supporting staff for the successful conduct of the complex procedure.