Krishna Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS) at Secunderabad has emerged as the first centre in South India for achieving the distinction of performing scarless robotic thyroidectomy surgery on a male patient.

The scar-less robotic thyroidectomy is a relatively new procedure and it has been introduced by KIMS for the first time in Hyderabad. It saves patients from being left with a scar on the neck, and is as effective as the routine procedure. Thyroid swellings and small Thyroid cancers are being treated with scarless throidectomy.

KIMS had conducted five live robotic surgery workshops earlier in the year 2012 and the procedure was demonstrated before senior surgeons from all over India. Having achieved the excellence in robotic surgeries the team of doctors at KIMS led by Dr Jagdishwar Goud have accomplished 200 successful robotic surgeries in just a span of 18 months, which is also regarded as one of the first of its kind fete in India.

The 180 degree rotating robotic instrument of the equipment also enables lymph node dissections in uterine, cervical, prostatic cancers and bladder cancers. All these cancers and anatomical structures are better visualized with the 10 to 15 times magnified and 3-D vision of the robotic camera. It is as if the surgeon is entering the abdominal and thoracic cavity and removing the tumours. With the introduction of this new technology, the surgeon's hand movements are made tremor free by the robotic instruments.

Though the initial scarless robotic surgery costed Rs.3 lakhs for the patient, the hospital authorities informed that, the next hundred such surgeries will be taken up at much lesser cost i.e. for only Rs.1.5 lakhs. The robotic equipments used for surgery are imported and each costs around Rs.60000 and they are disposed off after using them for 6 surgeries.

Dr Bhasker Rao, chairman and CEO of KIMS said, “We are committed to introduce new treatment technologies at KIMS and provide the benefits to the patients at affordable costs. In view of the recent success we are offering 100 more such surgeries at 50 per cent low cost to the patients.”

“Earlier, Esophageal Cancer required opening the chest or inserting the hand into the chest, in order to operate. With the introduction of new technology, all oesophageal, mediastinal and lung tumours are now being operated using the robotic system with 3mm and 5 mm instruments. Major advantages of this new procedure are reduced complications, faster recovery and faster return to work with equal efficacy,” informed Dr Jagadishwar Goud of KIMS. Dr Jagdishwar Goud has been trained to perform these procedures by Dr. Chung (the first robotic thyroid surgeon in the world) in Seoul.

Adopting new surgical technologies KIMS Cancer Institute is in the forefront in providing cost effective treatment facilities to the patients in India. The cancer centre is equipped with latest technology including the Da Vinci Robotic Surgery System, High Definition Laparoscopic System, CUSA, Erbe Workstation, Harmonic Scalpel, Nd.Yag Laser etc. KIMS Robotic Centre is renowned for Robotic Esophagectomy and Robotic Colo-Rectal Surgery.