Jodhpur:In a groundbreaking procedure, the Surgical Oncology Department of AIIMS Jodhpur has successfully saved half of the lung of a 22-year-old patient from Sri Ganganagar in Rajasthan, who was diagnosed with cancer in the upper part of the right lung and the windpipe.
Hospital officials said that typically cancer in this area would require the removal of the entire lung and a large incision, which leads to a lengthy recovery period and a high risk of complications such as pneumonia and chest pain. However, AIIMS Jodhpur's surgical team used advanced robotic technology to perform minimally invasive surgery, significantly reducing the risks associated with the procedure.
Dr Jeevan Ram Vishnoi, Head of the Surgical Oncology Department, said, "The patient had been diagnosed with cancer following an examination by Professor Nishant Bhardwaj of the Pulmonary Medicine Department. In standard cases, such a surgery involves opening the chest entirely to remove the affected lung tissue. However, using the robotic approach, the surgical team was able to excise only the cancerous portion of the lung and windpipe with precision, while preserving the lower part of the lung."
The surgery was conducted with just two small incisions measuring 8 mm and 12 mm, a far cry from the traditional large cut required in conventional open surgery. Dr Vishnoi said that the robot first removed the lymph nodes and then carefully dissected the complex blood vessels supplying the upper lobe of the lung before cutting the affected windpipe. The remaining lower part of the lung was then reattached to the windpipe.
Remarkably, the patient did not require post-operative ICU care and was instead moved directly to a hospital ward after the surgery. He was discharged just five days later after a smooth recovery, the doctor said.