Doctors operate on girl with help of robotic arm

With the help of robotic surgery, doctors at a city hospital have straightened the urine passage of a child of four years. According to doctors, the girl, who regularly had high fever, was diagnosed with severe urine infection and a condition called Vesicoureteral reflux (VUR), which can harm her kidney if not treated in time.

According to Dr Vipin Tyagi, consultant urologist and robotic surgeon at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, the girl was suffering from a condition known as VUR in which urine flows backward from the bladder into the kidneys. Normally, urine flows from the kidneys through the ureters to the bladder. The muscles of the bladder and ureters, along with the pressure of urine in the bladder, prevent urine from flowing backward through the ureters.

“The girl was continuously suffering from high fever of around 102 degrees and above. During the diagnosis we found that she was suffering from severe urine infection. Apart from infection she was also suffering from VUR which can lead to other severe health complications,” said Dr Tyagi.

Health experts at the hospital advised her family members to allow her to undergo surgery for the timely cure of UVR. “We discussed all the options available. After proper consultation and deliberation, doctors and family members agreed on robotic surgery,” added Dr Tyagi. Doctors claimed that robotic surgery is better than laparoscopic surgery on several counts.

“In robotic surgery we get clear three-dimensional vision while in laparoscopic surgery the camera provides two-dimensional vision.”

“Similarly, arm movement is better in robotic surgery which provides complete 360-degree movement, while laparoscopic surgery movement is restricted to 90 degrees,” said Dr Tyagi. The surgery was successful and the girl is recovering.