Varanasi: With the advancements made in the field of renal transplantation, surgeries have become minimally invasive and ensure better patient comfort. Advent of Robot assisted surgeries has ensured better management of intra-operative complications and has become better and safer.
More complex cases are being performed with great precision and minimal blood loss. Now, the upcoming promise is firefly and image interposition technology where CT/MRI images are superimposed on surgical area to guide operating surgeon in real time.
“In the last few years, there have been many advances in renal replacement and organ support. Robot-Assisted Renal Transplantation has become extremely useful as it results in quicker recovery, less pain and smaller scar with quicker healing. Unlike regular open surgeries for kidney transplantation where the patient receives the kidney through a larger muscle cutting process, robotic surgery is conducted with only a small incision and involves no cutting of muscle. Blood loss during surgery and scope for human error are also minimized.” Said Dr. Anant Kumar, Chairman – Urology, Renal Transplant, Robotics & Uro-oncology, Max Super Speciality Hospital, Saket
Surgery always evokes a feeling of fear and distress in the mind of all patients. Pain and disfigurement are a major fear-factor. Nephrologists have always been in the forefront of imbibing newer technologies to help their patients.
Renal transplantation procedures have become less invasive, less painful, safer and cosmetically better, has ensured better and quicker recovery.
Robot- assisted surgeries are currently revolutionizing the way surgeries are conducted across the globe. Such surgeries involve minimal blood loss, quick recovery, shorter hospital stay and a faster return to the normal life.
“Over 2 lakh patients with chronic kidney failure are awaiting kidney while hardly around 5000 transplantations take place annually. This huge demand for renal transplantation is attributed to lack of awareness about the advancements made in this field, and people being skeptical about their personal well being post donation. Advanced laparoscopic methods have proven to have minimal discomfort in the donor with excellent cosmetic results. With Robot-Assisted Renal Transplantation, a transplant surgery is comparatively easier to conduct. Therefore it is important to understand that by donating one kidney, none of their physical abilities, quality of life or longevity will be affected.” He added
Cost plays an important confounding factor in such surgeries as the equipment used and medications are costly. Nowadays, with better accessibility of specific immune-adsorption filters along with better protocols and improved standard of care, these risks are decreasing day by day and procedures are becoming more economically viable.