Hyderabad, 13 August 2024: Nizam’s institute of medical sciences (NIMS), a leading government hospital located in Hyderabad, announced that they have completed 300 robotic-assisted surgeries (RAS) within one year of installing one of the advanced surgical robots, Da Vinci. These surgeries include many complex procedures under the departments of Urology, Gastro intestinal surgery and Surgical oncology. Through this, they have become one of the fastest among the government hospitals in India to achieve this milestone.

Commenting on this achievement, Dr. Bheerappa Nagari, Director- NIMS Hyderabad, said “Robotics in surgery is one such emergent technology that is creating waves worldwide and now in India, improving clinical outcomes. Our goal is to provide the best course of treatment to everyone who visits our hospital. With the advent of cutting-edge technology being available in India, it is imperative to make the benefits of those available to all sections of the patient community. We are thankful to the Chief Minister of Telengana, Mr. Revanth Reddy, and Minister for Health, Medical & Family Welfare, Science and Technology, Mr. Damodar Rajanarasimha for their unwavering support in helping us provide this advanced treatment option to people from all strata of our society.”

“As the technology has helped us to reduce the post-operative hospital stay, doctors are able to attend more cases every day. This has also resulted in reduced waiting periods for surgeries, from months to few days. The departments are now getting patients who prefer to undergo robotic-assisted surgery as the word of mouth of operated patients has helped us spread awareness about the benefits of RAS,” Dr. Nagari Bheerappa added.

Dr. Rahul Devraj, Professor and Head, Department of Urology and Coordinator for Robotic Surgery, NIMS-Hyderabad said, “The government support for this modern surgical technique is a significant step in making this novel technology available to all sections of the society. Robotic-assisted surgery, in my perspective, represents a pivotal advancement in the surgical field. I am proud that we are offering such technology-led services here at NIMS. Using this state-of-the-art technology, we can address the complex anatomy and tumour involvement judiciously. In terms of technical feasibility, safety, and long-term oncological and other clinical outcomes, we found this approach as a viable alternative to traditional techniques. We have also observed that the patients who have undergone robotic-assisted surgeries have minimum pain, and this has reduced their post-operative follow-up. The patients have also given very good feedback and have thanked the surgeons for providing them with great results post complex surgeries.”

Commenting on their collaboration with NIMS, Ms. Darla Hutton, Interim GM- India and VP Commercial Operations – APAC of Intuitive, the makers of da Vinci RAS technology, said, “The integration of the da Vinci surgical system at the Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences represents a significant step in promoting the use of robotic-assisted surgical technologies among practicing and upcoming surgeons. We are happy to learn that through the adoption of RAS, NIMS hospital is able to make this technology accessible to all strata of the society, and it has led to reduced waiting periods for surgeries in a busy government hospital like NIMS. Alongside, our collaboration with esteemed academic institutions like NIMS provides students and professionals with access to cutting-edge technology, enhancing their education and hands-on training. This access ensures that the next generation of surgeons is well-equipped with the latest technological skills, fostering innovation and excellence in surgical practices.”

Robotic-assisted surgery is a minimally invasive procedure that helps patients return to their everyday life much faster, in many surgical procedures. Surgeons use the da Vinci Surgical System to operate through a few small incisions. The system includes a magnified 3D high-definition vision system and tiny wristed instruments that bend and rotate much more than the human hand. As a result, surgeons have better vision, precision, and control. Other benefits include decreased pain, fewer post-operative wound infections, less post-operative scarring, and faster recovery. Reducing the chance of infection makes it an ideal procedure, especially for people with co-morbidities.

Some of the robotic-assisted procedures performed at NIMS are prostate cancer surgeries, partial nephrectomy, radical nephrectomy, radical cystectomy, pyeloplasty, ureteral reimplantation, radical cholecystectomy, large defect ventral hernias, Inguinal hernia, fundoplication, pancreatectomy, whipple procedure, gastrectomy, colorectal surgeries, radical hysterectomy, benign hysterectomy, LAR, hemicolectomy, esophagectomy etc.