Media Release
Udupi, June 25: Kasturba Hospital, Manipal, has successfully performed a complex robotic intrathoracic tracheal (windpipe) cancer surgery, marking a significant milestone in advanced robotic cancer surgery in Karnataka.
The intricate procedure was carried out on a 36-year-old man who had been experiencing breathing difficulties. An endoscopy revealed a tumour in the lower part of his windpipe.
Although he had previously undergone partial tumour removal at another hospital, he required definitive treatment involving complete excision of the residual tumour along with the affected lower segment of the trachea.
The surgery was performed by the Department of Surgical Oncology at Kasturba Hospital, Manipal, led by Dr Naveena Kumar A N, with crucial support from the Department of Anaesthesia. Using a robotic approach, the surgical team completely removed the tumour-affected lower portion of the trachea, located just above the bifurcation, and reconstructed the airway by joining the healthy ends of the windpipe.
What made the procedure particularly challenging was the need to perform robotic surgery while maintaining continuous oxygenation of the lungs and keeping the ventilation tube within the windpipe throughout the operation.
In a conventional open surgery, the patient would have required a large incision in the chest, resulting in greater pain, a longer recovery period and a more visible scar. Owing to the minimally invasive robotic approach, the patient recovered well and was discharged on the fourth day after surgery.
Robotic surgery offers several advantages over traditional surgical techniques. Patients typically experience faster recovery, minimal blood loss and reduced post-operative pain, enabling them to resume their normal lives sooner.
The surgical team also included Dr Nawaz Usman, Dr Akhil Palod, Dr Ananth Balakrishnan and Dr Preethi from the Department of Surgical Oncology, along with Professor Anitha N and Dr Shreya from the Department of Anaesthesia.
At Kasturba Hospital, Manipal, the Department of Surgical Oncology, under the leadership of Dr Naveena Kumar A N, performs a wide spectrum of major robotic cancer surgeries involving the lungs, thymus, oesophagus (food pipe), stomach, rectum (large intestine), pancreas, liver, uterus and kidneys. Robotic surgery is also helping improve quality-of-life outcomes through function-preserving and organ-saving procedures, such as avoiding permanent stoma in select rectal cancer cases and enabling partial kidney removal in patients with kidney cancer.
Expressing his happiness over the success of the complex surgery, Prof Naveena Kumar A N, Department of Surgical Oncology, Kasturba Hospital, Manipal, said: “This surgery represents one of the most technically demanding procedures in robotic cancer surgery, requiring precise coordination between the surgical and anaesthesia teams to maintain the patient’s airway and oxygenation throughout. We are proud that our team could offer this minimally invasive option to our patient, sparing him a major chest incision and a long recovery. It reflects the level of advanced surgical care now available to patients in our region.”
Congratulating the team on the achievement, Dr Sudhakar Kantipudi, chief operating officer, Teaching Hospitals, MAHE, said: “This achievement is a proud moment for Kasturba Hospital and reflects the skill and dedication of our doctors, nursing staff and technicians. We will continue to invest in advanced technology and expertise so that Kasturba Hospital can become a referral centre for handling this kind of complex robotic cancer surgery in the future.”
With this achievement, Kasturba Hospital, Manipal, has reaffirmed its commitment to bringing the most advanced surgical technologies to patients across the region.