Doctors carry out robotic kidney transplantation

A team of doctors from the GEM Hospital and Research Centre, Chennai, has successfully performed a complete robotic kidney transplantation on a 36-year-old female patient, who had been suffering from kidney disease for the last eight years. Her husband was the donor.

Explaining the advantage of laproscopy and robotic kidney transplant, C. Palanivelu, chairman, GEM Hospitals, said at a press conference here on Thursday that it was a painless procedure and the rate of recovery of the patient and donor were faster.

“With minimal invasive surgery, the chances of the patient getting hernia is lesser and immunity levels are better,” he said. He said soon after completing surgery, another person was operated on. “Everything, including joining of arteries, is done using robotic arms,” he added.

Swaminathan Sambandam, head of transplantation surgery, GEM Hospital, said only three key-hole sized incisions were made and a 5 cm one to remove the kidney. These surgeries are more precise, leaving patients with small scars.

Prabhu Kanchi, head of nephrology and renal transplant, GEM Hospital, said it was good that the family understood the importance of transplant, and her husband agreed to donate the organ. “We saw the kidney beginning to function on the operation table itself. The patient’s kidney function (creatnine level) improved to normal within three days,” he added.