EMBARKING ON THE
ROBOTIC ODYSSEY

Robotic Total Gastrectomy and
Roux-en-Y Esophagojejunostomy

Om Prakash, a 77-year-old septuagenarian, was brought to BLK Cancer Centre with complaints of difficulty in swallowing for the past 2 months, accompanied with a significant weight loss. On evaluation, he was diagnosed to have poorly differentiated Adenocarcinoma of the stomach involving fundus and the body of the stomach along the lesser curvature extending on to the GE junction. After a comprehensive evaluation, the patient was counselled for surgical resection.

Dr. Surender Dabas and his team planned and performed a Robotic Total Gastrectomy upon the patient with distal Pancreatectomy, Splenectomy and Roux-en-Y Esophagojejunostomy with feeding Jejunostomy on 12 September 2018. This was a historic moment for BLK as it was the firstof-its-kind surgery ever performed at

the hospital. This Robotic procedure required extensive resection. It would have required a Laparotomy with a big midline abdominal wound, delayed recovery and greater morbidity to the patient, if it had been done by conventional open surgery. Robotic Surgery, on the other hand, has the advantage of having fewer overall complications, lesser blood loss, reduced post-operative pain, early recovery and shorter hospital stay

The operation was uneventful, and the patient had an excellent post-operative recovery with no complications. Gastrograffin study on the 7th postoperative day revealed no anastomotic leak and the patient was started on oral feeds. On discharge, both the patient and the attendants expressed satisfaction with the surgery and postoperative outcome.

PRECISION MEETS TECHNOLOGY

There are numerous advantages of Robotic surgery which include 3D HD vision, 7 degrees of freedom, more precision and control, meticulous dissection, better ergonomics, improved dexterity, endo-wrist movements, 10X magnification and greater instrument stability. Robotic-assisted surgery is expanding the capabilities of surgery and is changing the face of medical care. With the development of Robotic technology, surgeons can offer minimally invasive procedures in place of certain open procedures, which involve increased risk of possible side effects. It enables surgeons to perform a variety of delicate and complicated surgical procedures with improved outcomes. These are some of the reasons
"The da Vinci Surgical System enables surgeons to attain a three-dimensional surgical view, instrument flexibility, tremor suppression, and improved ergonomics. It allows the surgeon to explore a different part of the body mid-operation without repositioning the entire apparatus."

why, BLK Cancer Centre decided to equip itself with the latest acquired technology -the Da Vinci Xi Robot,

which is the most advanced Robotic system approved for human use offering Robotically-assisted enhanced services.

The newly upgraded Centre has also benefitted greatly by the joining of wellaccomplished Oncologist Dr. Surender Kumar Dabas, who also happens to be an esteemed pioneer of TransOral Robotic Surgery in India, to spearhead the Robotic Surgery Program at BLK Hospital. He has joined BLK Hospital as the Chief of Robotic Surgery and Director of Surgical Oncology Department. Dr. Dabas is credited with the maximum number of TransOral Robotic Surgeries in Asia and has already performed more than 20 challenging Robotic surgeries including Robotic Total Gastrectomy, Lung Bilobectomy, Radical Prostatectomy, Radical Hysterectomy, Partial & Radical Nephrectomy and TransOral Robotic surgeries at BLK. With the recent upgrades and a comprehensive Robotic program, expertly manned by top specialists, BLK Cancer Centre now joins the ranks of select institutions in the country to offer highly complicated and sophisticated Robotic surgeries.