Kochi :

Robot-assisted surgery has come to town and performed a procedure on 61-year-old for prostate cancer.

“We used a robot-assisted procedure to remove the prostate gland and the surrounding lymph nodes using a robot called Da Vinci. While hospitals are using open or laparoscopic procedure, this method is more efficient, both for the patient as well as the surgeon,” said Dr Kishore T A, consultant urologist and transplantologist, Aster Medcity, Kochi.

The Rs 12-core Da Vinci robot is a three-unit piece which includes a remote-control console, a five-armed robot and a processing system.

The surgeon sits on the remote control console which senses his hand movements and translates them electronically into scaled-down micro-movements to manipulate the tiny instruments.

It also detects and filters out any tremors in the surgeon’s hand which makes the surgery highly accurate and precise, say the doctors.

The robotic surgery, which has been performed in some of the major hospitals in the country, is expected to become popular in the state.

“We need just one nurse at the table to assist the surgeon to hand over the instruments to the ‘arm’ according to the surgeon’s instructions.

“The advantage of robotic prostatectomy is that it reduces pain and blood loss, tissue trauma, a shorter hospital stay, and a quicker recovery period than a traditional prostatectomy.

“You usually can return to normal activity with minor restrictions in two to four weeks after the surgery,” he said.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Kochi / TNN / June 03rd, 2014