The Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Government Hospital (MGMGH) has performed a laparoscopic abdominoperineal resection (APR) surgery on a cancer patient for the first time.
M. Azem Banu (55) of Gandhi Market, who was operated upon a week ago, is recuperating at the hospital and responding to treatment. She is able to walk on her own and is likely to be discharged within a few days.
A team of doctors comprising Senthilkumar Ramakrishnan, Karunakaran, Sumathy, Premalatha, and anaesthetists Srinivasan and Anitha performed the surgery.
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Ms. Banu was admitted to hospital about 10 days ago with complaints of bleeding while passing stools.
She felt abdominal pain, tiredness, and weight loss. She was then investigated with the CT scan and diagnosed with carcinoma rectum.
Although the hospital had performed several open surgeries for removing the carcinoma rectum, it had never performed laparoscopic abdominoperineal resection (APR) surgery.
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When doctors told about the facilities available at the hospital to perform APR surgery, Ms. Banu readily accepted it and she was subsequently operated upon.
“The successful APR surgery has once again demonstrated the team work and trustworthiness of the doctors. It will boost our endeavour to do more complex surgeries,” said Dr. M.K. Muralidharan, Dean, MGMGH.
A similar procedure at a private hospital would cost about Rs. 2.5 lakh. It had been performed free of cost at the MGMGH.
Dr. Senthilkumar said the digestive system of the patient had been working well. She was recovering well. She had started having solid food.
Dr. A. Thulasi, Head, Department of Surgery, said the laparoscopic surgery would enable the patient to recover quickly than the open surgery. She could start her routine work within two or three weeks.