International symposium highlights benefits of robotic surgery

A gathering of eminent robotic surgeons from various countries on Saturday highlighted the far-reaching benefits of robotic procedures. They were unanimous in their conclusion that the modality was the best platform to usher in an era of digital surgery.

The seminar was organised by the Pakistan Society of Robotic Surgeons (PSRS) in collaboration with the Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation (SIUT). Prof Saeed Qureshi, vice chancellor of the Dow University of Health Sciences, who is also the president of the society, inaugurated the symposium that was presided over by SIUT Director Prof Adib Rizvi.

Eminent robotic surgeons discussed variety of issues presently confronted in surgical sciences. They pointed out that the new technology offered definite advantages. One of the most important features of the technology was that it had great capacity to work inside the confined areas of human body with accurate precision, they said.

Presenting their experiences, the robotic surgeons from their respective countries said because of its immense merits, the robotic surgery was broadly used for treating patients suffering from various cancers including kidney, prostrate, pancreatic, lung and urinary bladder cancers.

Keyhole incision, reduced blood loss, less pain and decreased stay of patients in hospital were other important benefits of robotic procedures, they said. The overseas experts included Dr Khurshid Guru from the Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Centre, Buffalo, United States; Dr Mark Slack from the CMR Surgical, Cambridge, United Kingdom; Dr Marcus Carey from the Royal Women’s Hospital, Melbourne, Australia; and Dr Pritpal Singh from the Robotic Surgery & Kidney Transplant, New Delhi, India.

Speakers representing various medical institutions of Pakistan included Prof Shahid Rasul from the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Dr Nauman Zafar from the PKLI Lahore, Prof Mehmood Ayaz from the KEMU Lahore and Arsalan Khan and Dr Rehan Mohsin from SIUT.