Safdarjung Hospital : Pushing Boundaries in Medicine

Mahesh Dhoundiyal - Delhi

Safdarjung Hospital has achieved a new milestone in its robotic surgery program with the successful conduct of a complex robotic surgery on a 36 year old woman who was diagnosed with a giant adrenal tumour. Dr Sandeep Bansal, Medical Superintendent, Safdarjung Hospital informed that the adrenal tumour, measuring 18.2 x 13.5 cms is the largest ever adrenal tumour in the world to have been removed robotically in a minimally invasive fashion.

The robotic surgery was conducted by Dr. Pawan Vasudeva, Professor and Head of the Department of Urology and Renal Transplant, along with Dr. Niraj Kumar and Dr. Avishek Mandal. The anesthesia team, comprised of  Dr. Sushil, Dr. Bhavya, and Dr. Megha.

The procedure was fraught with dangers since the tumour not only had grown to a massive size but had also encroached upon and was dangerously adherent to three critical body structures I.e. the Inferior Vena Cava, Liver and the Right kidney. It was imperative that the tumour be removed in its entirety without damaging the critical surrounding structures. Dr Vasudeva opined that precise dissection is the key to performing such surgeries and that the 3D Vision of the Da Vinci robot along with its dextrous robotic arms allows one to perform complex surgeries with greater precision than what is usually possible with laparoscopy. In this case, the surgery lasted over three hours and the tumour could be completely removed without any complications. Post operative recovery was uneventful and patient was discharged in 3 days. 

Robotic surgery offers numerous benefits, including small key hole incisions, precise work, reduced postoperative pain, early post operative recovery and discharge with a faster return to work. Had this surgery been performed by an open route, it would’ve required a skin incision of more than 20 cms, with subsequent complete healing requiring a few weeks, informed Dr Vasudeva.  

Dr Sandeep Bansal said that this milestone showcases Safdarjung Hospital's expertise in robotic surgery and its dedication to delivering cutting-edge quality healthcare free of cost to all patients. A complex robotic surgery of this nature, which was performed free of cost at Safdarjung Hospital would’ve costed upwards of a few lakhs in the private sector.

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