Narayana Health City Performs Robot Assisted Surgery to Cure Pancreatic Cancer in a Retired Government Officer

Mr. Bhim Rao was leading a peaceful retired life. However, few months ago he started getting abdominal pain. As his pain did not subside despite medication and he started developing jaundice coupled with weight loss as well as loss of appetite, he was referred to Narayana Health City. He was admitted under Dr. Ashwinikumar Kudari, Senior Consultant – Surgical Gastroenterology & Robotic Surgeon and his team. Upon diagnosis it was found that he was suffering from pancreatic cancer.

Pancreatic cancer is one of the most dreadful conditions wherein the prognosis depends on early diagnosis & treatment. The 5 years survival rate is 20-25%. However, if identified early it can be treated and cured. Fortunately for Mr. Bhim Rao the tumour was identified at an early stage. Further, the tumor was confined to the head of the pancreas. Since it was localized and not spread into any nearby major blood vessels, the liver, lungs or abdominal cavity, doctors suggested whipple surgery.

Though whipple surgery is the most effective mode of treatment for pancreatic cancer, it is a complex one, especially open whipple surgery is a high risk procedure. Whipple surgery is generally associated with mortality rate of around 5%. The post-operative complications also in this procedure are as high as 40%. As the patient was old and has diabetes as well as borderline obesity doctor recommended him to undergo robotic whipple surgery. The surgery was performed successfully and he has been cured of pancreatic cancer.

The technically demanding surgery was performed by the team of doctors comprising of Dr. Ashwinikumar Kudari, Dr. Jayant Mulchandani and Dr. Mohammed Shies Sadat. Elaborating about the case study, Dr. Ashwinikumar Kudari, Senior Consultant – Surgical Gastroenterology & Robotic Surgeon, Narayana Health City, said, “The case of Mr. Bhim Rao was a challenging one as the patient was old and obese with a non-dilated ductal system with soft pancreas. In such circumstances, reconstruction can be difficult, however, with the stereoscopic vision and dexterity and stability of robotic arms we were able to perform reconstruction successfully and easily.”

“Unlike the conventional open surgeries the quality of reconstruction using robotic method is far higher. The 360 degree rotation offered by the robotic arm assists in better suturing. The precision that it offers is also a great aid in ensuring superior outcomes. Further, as it is minimally invasive only small incisions are made which in turn leads to faster recovery, minimal loss of blood, low rate of complications and short hospital stay. As the wound is small, the requirement for antibiotics as well as pain killers is also far lower,” added Dr. Ashwinikumar Kudari.

The surgery took around 6 hours and the patient was discharged within eight days of the surgery.

Expressing his joy, Mr. Bhim Rao, said, “I was shattered when I got to known that I am suffering from cancer. I had lost all hope and in fact, I was dreading about the kind of financial burden my family will have to go through because of me. However, the team at Narayana Health City was very kind. They not only treated me with the best modality. They even guided my family with regard to the financials. The surgery was performed under the JSS scheme.”

With this case study Narayana Health City becomes one of the few hospital in the country to have performed a significant number of robotic whipple surgeries. The robotic department is supported by Infosys Foundation. Narayana Health City has performed 27 robotic whipple procedure since the inception of its robotic department which is highest for a center in the country.

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