Tamil Nadu: Man who underwent robotic surgery discharged without complications – Times of India

CHENNAI: A 44-year-old patient from Tirupathur who was the first to undergo a robotic surgery at the government multispecialty hospital in Omandurar has been discharged without complications, health minister Ma Subramanian said.
The patient underwent surgery for renal cancer, where doctors used robotic arms to keep surgical cuts minimal and outcome precise.
After 2.30-hour surgery, the patient was moved to post-operative care and in 48 hours he was discharged for home, Subramanian said.
The machine, procured through the TN Medical Services Corporation was declared open by chief minister MK Stalin. Surgeons from departments of urology, surgical gastroenterology, surgical oncology, endocrine surgery and cardiothoracic surgery, have been trained to use them. Doctors said the advanced equipment offers minimally invasive surgery (smaller surgical cut) and yet improves precision and surgical outcomes, reduces blood loss, chances of infection, and shortens hospital stay.
The chief minister’s Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme covers the cost of robotic surgery for patients with state health insurance cards.
Over the last three years, the number of beneficiaries has nearly doubled. officials say besides an increase in the number of patients, the high-end procedures like cancer treatment and diagnosis, angioplasty and stenting and robotic surgeries have increased the state’s share of the revenue.
“As we increased high-end surgeries, added state -of the art equipment, ensured good maintenance, the number of beneficiaries going to government hospitals nearly doubled,” said Tamil Nadu Health Systems project director Dr S Uma. For instance, from around 3.9 lakh beneficiaries in 2019-20 and 2.5 lakh in 2020-21, the number of beneficiaries in 2021-22 nearly doubled to 4.22 lakh. The cumulative amount raised by government hospitals from insurance rose from 231.1 crore to 418.6 crore — the highest so far. “In the first three months of 2021 GHs have maintained 45% share,” she said.
The state own a network of 25 cath labs, around 150 STEMI units, dialysis machines, linear accelerator and MRI. Until now more than 4800 people have undergone Cochlear implants, which can cost up to 6.3 lakh, around 1058 people have undergone liver transplants and more than 3,000 people have undergone renal transplant surgeries. While 140 people have undergone heart transplants,21 patients have undergone heart and lung surgeries.