In Asia’s first, PGI treats two-day-old baby with robotic surgery

Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, February 19

Claimed to be the first such operation in Asia, the PGI’s Department of Paediatric Surgery has treated a two-day-old baby with robotic surgery.

According to the PGI, the baby was born with the food pipe absent and was unable to take feed. The condition is known as esophageal atresia in scientific terms. He was two days old and weighed only 2,500 gm at the time of the birth. He was delivered at the Sector 16 hospital. Conventionally, such babies are operated upon by opening their chest to repair the food pipe within three days of their birth.

Doctors said this was an advanced surgery in which the esophageal reconstruction was done so early in life. There were various modalities such as open and laparoscopic surgeries. The surgical team used robotic surgery to repair this difficult condition for the first time.

The team, led by Dr Ravi Kanojia and anaesthetist Prof Neerja Bhardwaj, performed the surgery and found its application in paediatric conditions very difficult and technically challenging. They were supported by Dr Anudeep, Dr Swapnil, Dr Monika, and the Head of the Paediatric Surgery Department, Prof Ram Samujh.

After the surgery, the baby was looked after by the neonatology team comprising Dr Surya and Prof Praveen Kumar. The baby has fully recovered, is taking feed and has been sent home. The child’s father is a security guard and belongs to the Below Poverty Line income group. The PGI has been able to provide free treatment to the baby.

Paediatric surgeons here have been operating such babies since the early1980s and the PGI is the largest referral centre for newborn surgical conditions in India.