Doctor Observes Robot-Performed Surgery with Interest

Chitwan, 16 November - Although the surgeons themselves perform the surgeries in Nepal, robotic-assisted surgery has drawn much attention from medical professionals. For the first time in Nepal, at Chitwan Medical College, doctors were excited to witness a live robotic surgery during a robotic surgery conference organized at the college.

Doctors who attended the conference watched the procedure live from the college's conference hall while the surgery was taking place in the operation theater using robotic technology. Dr. Umesh Nepal, Urologist and Deputy Director at Cancer Hospital spent over an hour observing the operation with keen interest.

The surgery was that of a patient with a narrowed renal tube and was performed using robotic assistance. Dr. Nepal said this robot can reach even small areas of the human body causing negligible damage and would be a great benefit for the patient. He said this technology would be highly useful for cancer patients, where greater precision with minimal invasion is possible. According to Dr. Nepal, robotic surgery is capable of being ten times more effective compared to traditional surgery and urged the government to invest in such technologies at cancer hospitals.

It was attended by approximately 150 medical professionals: doctors from Chitwan, Kathmandu, Biratnagar, Dharan, and Pokhara, plus specialists from Medanta Hospital, India. Participants included gastrointestinal surgeons, urologists, gynecologists, oncologists, anesthesiologists, general surgeons, residents, and nurses.

Nine research papers were presented during the conference. Dr. Vishal Acharya and Dr. Sunil Sharma presented their work on gastrointestinal surgery, while Dr. Rajiv Sah, Dr. Sampanna Chudal, and Dr. Pratikman Singh Gurung made presentations on urology. Gynecologists who made presentations included Dr. Keshav Acharya (CMC), Dr. Birendra Bhagat (Medanta), and Dr. Priyank Warta (Medanta), along with anesthesiologist Dr. Suvi Regmi.

According to Pratap Devkota, Chief Administrative Officer at Chitwan Medical College, the conference was focused on taking the future of surgery in Nepal to the next level with robotic innovation and precision. He said robotic surgeries available at the college are cheaper compared to India.

Dr. Pratikman Singh Gurung, a robotic and urology surgeon at Chitwan Medical College, informed that the college has performed 16 robotic surgeries so far, and all patients are in stable condition. He further said that this live robotic surgery conference will open a new chapter for robotic surgery in Nepal. The conference also helped increase interest among doctors in robotic surgery, according to Prof. Dr. Harishchandra Neupane, Chairperson and Managing Director at Chitwan Medical College. CMC is the second hospital in Nepal to introduce robotic surgery, marking a significant step forward for advanced surgical care in the country.