A 23-year-old patient suffering from gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD), was treated by robotic fundoplication at GEM Hospital, Perungudi with the surgical gastroenterologist and director, GEM Hospital P. Senthilnathan sitting 1,500 km away.
Using an advanced robotic platform developed by Meril Life Sciences with a dual-console system, the surgeon worked from Vapi in Gujarat, with the supporting surgeon operating the patient in Chennai simultaneously.
In this procedure, the top part of the stomach was wrapped around the lower esophagus to reinforce the valve and prevent acid reflux. “This is the first time that a hospital has done long-distance robotic telesurgery in the country. In conventional telesurgeries, a single remote surgeon operates in isolation. But this one was different. I was able to interact with the team in Chennai and share control of the robotic arms in real-time. We had a dedicated leased line to ensure seamless connectivity,” explained Dr. Senthilnathan.
The procedure lasted for an hour and a half, and was done after taking due consent of the patient, who has been discharged and is doing well. Such a dual console system would allow surgeries to be performed without doctors and patients having to travel, he added.
