Safdarjung Hospital set to telecast laparoscopy surgeries

New Delhi: The Safdarjung Hospital has started a website which offers live telecast of surgeries across the globe being conducted by the department of Urology. It is the only government-run hospital which conducts robotic surgeries including a kidney transplant.

An expert in Robotic Surgery explained that the motive of coming up with the website was to provide free of cost training of '3D laparoscopy' -- a technology that helps to perform treatment with greater speed and accuracy to other medical experts and students especially those practising in tier II and tier III cities.

"This is the first time a government hospital has come up with the concept. Through an inbuilt system, a website link has been created which can be used by anyone from the medical field be it student or doctors and can learn how the surgeries are conducted," Dr Anup Kumar, Doctor and Professor in the Urology Department, Safdarjung Hospital told IANS.

"Many of the urologists are not exposed to the higher standard of training. Apart the premier medical institutes like AIIMS or Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh the government hospitals don't have well-trained laparoscopy surgeons," Anup Kumar further added.

The professor further added that from the time the website has been launched, it has helped to connect many doctors across the globe, especially urologists from the US and Europe who have approached the hospital authorities for collaboration.

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Earlier Safdarjung hospital implemented 2D technology for conducting surgeries, Dr Kumar mentioned that the latest technology has helped to increase the number of surgeries.

"With shifting to 3D laparoscopy technology we are now conducting around 4-5 surgeries per day which was previously two or three. The 3D technology allows a better vision, the surgeries are more precise, takes less time and less chances of blood loss," he added.

Another benefit of the 3D technology,  is that it helps to soothe after the surgery which is usually the most difficult part in any laparoscopy.

According to Dr Kumar, the robotic surgical procedure reduces the duration of the operation and the chances of the risk of error as a surgeon only has to manoeuvre the robotic arms using a command centre with a 3D screen that looks like a computer.

"The cost of establishment of robotic surgery procedures is very tough. There are private hospitals which conduct robotic surgeries and the cost is about Rs 4-5 lakh, while here at Safdarjung a patient below poverty line gets it done without any payment while those admitted in private wards will have to pay a subsidised amount," Dr Kumar said.