First-ever cadaveric robotic surgery to be performed at PGI

Rajinder Nagarkoti

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 20

The Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, will be hosting a three-day first National Robot-Assisted Head and Neck Workshop and Advanced ENT Surgical Update to demonstrate advanced minimally invasive surgical methods to 300 ENT surgeons from around the country, from April 21 to 23.

At the workshop, first ever cadaveric robotic surgery for head and neck area in India will be performed. Prof Ashok K Gupta, Unit Head, Otolaryngology (ENT), chairperson and organising secretary at the conference, said live surgeries had been done on many occasions but it would be for the first time that a cadaveric robotic surgery will be performed.

“During the conference, ENT surgeons yet uninitiated in robotic surgery will be able to see live head and neck surgeries being performed using the da Vinci surgical robot. The goal is not only to help them observe the procedure but understand the potential patient benefits,” said Professor Gupta.

“The conference of head and neck surgeons will focus on disseminating the latest developments and share experiences with surgeons treating patients suffering from oral cancers, using computer assisted robotic surgery,” said Prof Naresh K Panda, Head, Otolaryngology (ENT), co-chairperson at the conference.Over a dozen live computer-assisted surgeries using the da Vinci surgical robot on patients suffering from the debilitating impact of cancer of the throat and neck will be conducted during the conference by Professor Panda and Professor Gupta; Dr Surendar Dabas from Fortis Memorial Research Institute and Hospital; Dr Mandar Deshpande from Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital and Medical Research Institute and Dr Kalpana Nagpal from Indraprastha Apollo Hospital.