AIIMS Jodhpur doctors conduct world’s first robotic surgery to repair food pipe

The All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS), Jodhpur has conducted the world’s first oesophageal (food pipe) robotic surgery. A team of doctors conducted the surgery on a young patient who had consumed acid approximately 9 months ago. Due to this, the food pipe got damaged and the patient was having problems while swallowing food or drinking water. Doctors at AIIMS Jodhpur, during the surgery, carried out the fully automated operation as well as managed to do the entire medical process with only slight bleeding. After the operation, the team of doctors claimed that the patient experienced less post-surgery pain. “Because of acid consumption, the patient was unable to eat and was being fed through a tube inserted in the abdomen. Generally, the procedure would have included an incision in the neck, chest, and abdomen, which would have caused a slow recovery, more pain, and significantly visible scars,” Professor MK Garg, Medical Superintendent of AIIMS Jodhpur, told Times of India. After nearly four days of the surgery, the patient started consuming food and drinks naturally. Moreover, two days following that, the patient was discharged from the hospital. Sharing their experience using robotic arms, Professor Garg stated that the surgery was done by the department of surgical gastroenterology. Further mentioning details, the professor notified that with this form of operation, the doctors usually remove the damaged food pipe and replace it with a new one. This method is done using only four 8mm incisions. Furthermore, the surgery involved minimal hassle, as it was performed using precise methods that have been incorporated into a robotic structure. Because of this, the patient recovered faster as compared to the conventional methods. For the uninitiated, the doctors at Jodhpur used a method known as ‘Ivor-Lewis Esophagectomy’. During this process, the stomach or abdomen is administered incisions to remove the damaged part of the digestive system. Also, it is either assisted or replaced with a temporary solution.