• The 10 robotic-assisted surgeries included 9 general surgeries and one uterine cancer surgery
• All patients who underwent robotic-assisted surgery were discharged within 4 days
• India has been witnessing an enhanced adoption of robotic surgery, even in non-metro cities in the last decade

PSG Hospital, a leading multispecialty hospital in Coimbatore, became the first hospital in India to perform 10 successful robotic-assisted surgeries within 24 hours. The 10 surgeries included three procedures for the treatment of hernia, six procedures for the removal of gall bladder, and one surgical procedure for uterine cancer. The nine general surgeries conducted were performed by Dr. S Rajesh Kumar, Professor and Senior Consultant, and Dr. Vishnu Varthan S, Professor and Consultant, Department of General & Gastro Intestinal Surgery. The 10^th surgical procedure for uterine cancer was performed by Dr. Rajkumar K S, Professor and Senior Consultant, and Dr. Shruthii Nanjundappan, Consultant, Department of Surgical Oncology.

Since the installation of one of the advanced robotic-assisted surgery systems, da Vinci in 2022, PSG Hospital has performed many complex and intricate robotic-assisted surgeries in departments of surgical gastroenterology, cardiothoracic surgery, surgical oncology, urology, and endocrinology with enhanced precision and minimal invasiveness.

Commenting on this achievement, Dr. Bhuvaneswaran JS, the Director at PSG Hospitals, Coimbatore said, “I congratulate our surgeons and care teams for this significant achievement. This wouldn’t have been possible without the immaculate planning and teamwork of various teams such as the surgical team, the anaesthesia team, the nursing staff, the team of surgical scrub nurses, and CSSD (Central sterile services Department) team. Their collective effort coupled with the RAS technology helped us to manage the time without causing any delay. All 10 surgeries were performed using the da Vinci system, developed by US based Intuitive. With the enhanced adoption of technology, we aim to positively change the lives of many more patients, as the treatment will become more effective and less stressful for them.”

There are more surgeons coming up from non-metro cities as well to get acquainted with robotic-assisted surgery. The technology’s rapid learning curve allows surgeons to quickly learn and gain proficiency in practicing robotic-assisted surgery. Robotic technology significantly enhances surgical efficiency and speed, enabling doctors to perform more procedures with enhanced precision.

Dr. S Rajesh Kumar, one of the surgeons who led the surgeries, “As one of the leading medical colleges in the region, we attend 50 to 60 patient cases a day and actively perform surgeries on multiple patients. Long hours of surgery can take a toll on surgeons, impacting our overall health, especially during complex and lengthy procedures. However, the ergonomic benefits of robotic-assisted surgical systems offer comfortable posture compared to traditional methods, as we can be seated at a console remote from the patient. The fingertip controls not only enhance precision but also contribute to reduce surgeon fatigue, which thereby results in potentially improved patient outcomes.”

For general surgeons, robotic-assisted technologies like Da Vinci offer multi-quadrant access with the versatility they need for a variety of abdominal procedures. It features advanced instrumentation and vision. Additionally, surgeons can utilize a greater range of motion than the human hand for their general surgery cases. Robotic-assisted surgery for hernia repair ensures precise removal of adhesions and prevents recurrence. When traditional surgical methods pose significant challenges for obese patients with high BMI, the minimally invasive nature of robotic-assisted surgery reduces the risk of complications and promotes faster wound healing.

Dr. Rajkumar K S, who led the robotic-assisted surgery for uterine cancer said, “One of the greatest surgical advancements in the last 2 decades can be attributed to robotic-assisted surgery (RAS). When we do gynecological procedures like uterine cancer surgery through open surgery, we need to make large incisions, which increases the risk of surgical site infections. However, with robotic-assisted surgery, we just need to make small incisions which helps reduce the threat of surgical site infections in these procedures and prevents other infections during the patient’s recovery. In my patients, RAS has been seen to provide less blood loss, less pain, fewer complications, shorter hospital stays, fewer re-admissions, better oncology outcomes and faster recovery depending on the type of cancer and stage.”

PSG Institute of Medical Science and Research, one of the leading multispecialty hospitals in Coimbatore provides total health care to its patients, with the highest levels of skill, professionalism, and ethical practice, leading to their effective care and treatment at affordable costs. By embracing advanced technologies like robotic-assisted surgery, and facilitating medical education and research, PSG Hospitals constantly upgrades the quality of medical practice and is committed to continuous quality improvement.