Apollo Hospitals highlight growing role of robotics in cancer surgery

Robot-assisted surgery can help GCC deal with the cancer challenge

Dubai, UAE, April 06th, 2015: Rapid advances in robot-assisted surgery are offering new options for cancer patients and in the coming years robotics would have a greater role in tackling the cancer challenge in the Gulf region, says experts at Apollo Hospitals, Asia’s foremost healthcare provider. A pioneer in minimally invasive procedures in India, Apollo Hospitals have successfully performed a wide range of procedures, including cancer surgeries, using robotic technology.

In recent years robotics has helped oncologists offer cancer patients a minimally invasive and less painful option to remove complex cancers, with lower risk of infections or scarring. Statistics on the prevalence of cancer and patient outcomes indicate that the most common cancers in the GCC are incidentally those in which robot-assisted surgery has had a high degree of success.

“Robot-assisted surgery, or robotics, is a revolutionary innovation in performing intricate surgeries, particularly in difficult or otherwise impossible locations, using specifically designed robotic arms. Though robotic surgeries have been common in various disciplines of medicine since the last decade its increasing and successful application in cancer treatment is highly encouraging for the medical fraternity and communities challenged by rising incidence of cancer,” said Dr. Umanath Nayak, Consultant Head & Neck and Robotic Surgeon, Apollo Cancer Hospitals.

Cancer incidence has been on the rise among Gulf countries though lower than developed countries and long term projections point to 21,000 new cancer cases by 2030. As per a report published in 2014 by the Gulf Centre for Cancer Control, there were 119,288 newly diagnosed cancer cases in GCC between 1998 and 2009. Oman saw 9.5% increase in cancer cases during the 12-year period, second only to Saudi Arabia, which saw an alarming 74.9% increase. Cancers of the lung and prostate among males and cancers of breast and thyroid among females were the most common cancers in almost all the GCC countries.

“Robotic assisted prostatectomy has given a minimally invasive and less complicated surgical option to treat early and localised cancer of the prostate while robotic thyroidectomy offers similar options in treating cancers of the thyroid. Lung cancer patients can also undergo robotic lobectomy procedure to remove cancers, thus significantly improving recovery times and quality of life post-surgery,” said Dr.Umanath.

Robot-assisted surgery enables to complete minimally invasive procedures with high precision, better results and less damage to the patient’s body. The robotic arms are controlled by a computer console which the surgeon operates using hand and foot controls, somewhat like a video-game, but a thousand times more precise and sophisticated. Using small and hidden incisions surgeons can remove complex cancers minimizing tissue damage, hastening recovery and reducing hospitalisation.

“The endo-wrist attached to the robotic arms can move in different directions and at multiple angles (270 degrees) - something that the human wrist cannot - and therefore can dissect, suture and divide tissues with a precision that even the most dexterous surgeon cannot. An endoscopic camera provides a 3-D magnified view of the surgical field when viewed through the console, making structures like nerves, blood vessels etc. much larger enabling faster surgery with more precision,” Dr. Umanath. explained.

“Though the robot facilitates the surgery, it is the operating surgeon’s hand movements that are transmitted to the robotic arms and the surgeon continues to direct the operation. At Apollo Hospitals we have the new generation da Vinci® Surgical System, which eliminates tiny, uncontrolled movements in the surgeon’s arms making cancer surgery much more precise. In certain situations like head & neck surgery, specially designed retractors allow the arms to reach deep-seated tumours and structures using hidden incisions thus avoiding visible scars in the neck,” added Dr. Umanath.

Apollo Hospitals is a major referral centre for minimally invasive surgeries and receives a large number of patients from all over the world looking for affordable, superior quality medical care along with less waiting time and minimum hospital stay.  

Recently, Emirates, one of the world’s fastest growing airlines, had teamed up with Apollo Hospitals, to connect international patients with quality healthcare services in India. As part of the joint venture, the patients and their attendants from 19 countries across Middle East and Africa can visit the hospital’s flagship locations in Chennai, Hyderabad, New Delhi, Kolkata, Ahmadabad and Bangalore to avail specially formulated fares for round-trip flights on Emirates.

Over 60,000 foreign patients from across the world, including the UAE, Oman and Qatar, have been successfully treated at the hospital during the last five years and the numbers are looking up every year.