Hyderabad: MNJ Cancer Hospital gets Da Vinci Robotic systems

Installed a few weeks ago with a cost of nearly Rs 32 crore, the renowned Da Vinci Robotic Systems have already been employed by the hospital surgeons to treat 16 cancer patients

Hyderabad: High-end robotic surgeries for cancer treatment, which otherwise would cost a fortune at corporate hospitals in Hyderabad, are now available for free of cost to needy patients at Government-run MNJ Cancer Hospital, Red Hills.

Installed a few weeks ago with a cost of nearly Rs 32 crore, the renowned Da Vinci Robotic Systems have already been employed by the hospital surgeons to treat 16 cancer patients, all hailing from economically weaker sections, at MNJ Cancer Hospital.

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Each cancer surgery of similar nature, if taken-up at a corporate hospital in Hyderabad, would cost anywhere between Rs 6 lakh and Rs 8 lakh. All the robotic surgeries, taken-up for treatment of a variety of cancers, at MNJ were conducted for free of cost and covered under free health insurance schemes.

Launched recently, the Da Vinci Robotic Systems at MNJ Cancer Hospital are known for their advanced set of instrumentation and precision. The Da Vinci system, essentially translates the surgeon’s hand movements at the console in real time, bending and rotating the instruments while performing the surgery. The tiny instruments (wrist-like) of the robot, which are controlled by the doctor, move with great precision and range of motion. Such systems enable the surgeon to remove tumours present at tricky locations.

To be able to perform surgeries in such precision systems, prior training is needed. “We have a group of dedicated 20 senior cancer surgeons who will spearhead the robotic surgeries. Already, three surgeons have started performing surgeries while others are undergoing intense training. These systems help patients recover from cancer treatment quickly,” says Dr Jayalatha, director, MNJ Cancer Hospitals.

For the past few months, the team of surgeons at MNJ Cancer Hospital has been visiting multiple health care facilities spread across the country where the Da Vinci Robotic Systems, manufactured by US-based Intuitive Surgicals, are being utilised to conduct the surgeries.

“Our senior surgeons are directly learning from their counterparts in other major health care institutions where similar systems are installed. These high-end systems are a boon for poor patients, who otherwise have to shell out a small fortune to access such treatment modalities in private health care facilities,” Dr Jayalatha pointed out.