MADURAI
Doctors at Government Rajaji Hospital here have conducted two surgeries with new procedures for the first time that left the patients with no scar, less pain and shorter stay at the hospital.
The first surgery was a transoral endoscopic thyroidectomy on R. Sundari (25) of S.S. Colony in the city, who had a big swelling in throat. An open surgery would have left a big and permanent scar on the throat. Besides, the patient would have had post-operative pain and prolonged hospital stay, Dean D. Marthupandian said.
“This is the first time this procedure through oral cavity was performed at a government hospital in the State. The one done at Government General Hospital in Chennai earlier was through bilateral axillary-breast approach wherein an opening was made through armpit,” he said.
New equipment
The doctors at the departments of Endocrine and Surgery used a new instrument, harmonic scalpel, procured at a cost of ₹16 lakh, for this procedure. This scalpel helped coagulate and cut the bleeding blood vessel precisely and quickly, he added.
The new procedure, done by a team of doctors, including Endocrine Surgeon S. Muthukumar, took an additional 15 minutes than the time needed for conventional surgery. “As the doctors gain expertise, it could be performed faster than the conventional surgery,” Dr. Maruthupandian said.
The woman was discharged on the third day.
Procedure for heart
Similarly, a team of doctors performed balloon valvuloplasty on a 10-year-old boy, A. Pandi from Sivaganga district, through a non-surgical procedure for the first time.
Pandi was diagnosed with congenital heart disease when he was three months old. He had aortic stenosis due to abnormal valve.
Though he was under treatment, the surgery was not required till recently when his health conditioned worsened that he could not walk even a short distance.
The procedure was done through his right groin, from where a long wire was introduced into his heart. A balloon was introduced through it and placed across the obstructed valve and dilated (inflated).
“A pacemaker was used temporarily for easy positioning of the balloon,” Dr. Selvarani of Cardiology Department said.
“This is the first such procedure done in a government hospital next only to the Government General Hospital, Chennai,” Dr. Maruthupandian said.
The boy would undergo replacement of valve at the age of 30 to 40 years.
The new procedure did not leave any scar on the patient. Besides, it was less painful and shortened the hospital stay.
Each of the surgery could have cost ₹1 lakh to ₹1.5 lakh at private hospitals. However, these surgeries were preformed free of cost at the GRH under Chief Minister’s Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme.
