Doctors at VPS Lakeshore Hospital in Kochi successfully performed an ‘endo-robotic’ surgery on a 75-year-old woman from Palakkad suffering from oesophageal cancer.
The part of the cancer that the robot could not reach within the food pipe was incised using a gastro endoscope, while the upper part was approached from the oral cavity using robotic surgery. The whole cancer affected area was thus removed en bloc and intra-operative pathology reports were used to confirm the completeness of cancer removal, they said in a communication.
Post-surgery, the defect of surgery was reconstructed using tissue from the inner part of the cheek with the help of the robot. It is also a novel approach to reconstruction of such defects, according to the doctors.
Typically, surgical removal of the voice box and food pipe is the course of action in this condition, followed by the reconstruction of the food passage using tissue from other parts of the body. This surgery is known to be highly morbid and causes significant challenges for the patient, including the loss of the natural ability to speak and eat. The present procedure provided a solution to this problem. The patient is currently recovering, having regained the ability to talk and drink water, according to the communication.
