HYDERABAD, March 2: Two successful laparoscopic nephrectomy (key hole) surgeries were conducted by a surgeon in a private hospital here, making Hyderabad the second city in the country after Karachi where such delicate surgeries can be conducted.

Through the surgery, one kidney each of two patients were removed without opening their abdomens. The head of the Urology Department of the Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences, Professor Mohammad Shehzad Leghari, successfully performed the two operations, first on a 45-year-old village woman, Khadija, and the second on a boy, Tariq Ahmed Nizamani.

He told journalists that it took four hours to complete each surgery for which expensive instruments were bought by him as they were not available in any government-run hospital. "This method is delicate but painless and patients do not have to stay in the hospital for over a week and wait for three months to recover from body pain, as is the case in conventional surgery" he said.

Only three minor holes of one centimetre each and fourth of two centimetres each were made on abdomens of the patients to insert a camera and instruments for performing the surgery that were supervised through a TV screen. "We have to fill the abdomen with gas to create space for the instruments movement as different organs are located close to each other", he observed.

Before removing kidney, arteries and veins were to be blocked or burned by the Endo Gia gun to avoid bleeding, the surgeon said, adding otherwise it could be risky and lead to excessive bleeding, requiring immediate opening of the abdomen.

Prof Leghari said that such surgeries could be conducted in the Liaquat university hospital as well if the government provided instruments to its urology ward.

According to him, a kidney has to be removed once it leaves working and in both the cases there were stones in the kidneys. Even after removal of stones, there was no chance of kidneys working so the surgery became compulsory.

Other key hole surgeries like removal of stone from kidney as well as bladder are being conducted in the local Civil Hospital as well. However, the health department has not provided the hospital with the equipment needed for laparoscopic nephrectomy surgeries.

Almost three patients a day requiring removal of kidney approach the Civil Hospital's urology ward where they have to undergo conventional surgery because of non-availability of the equipment.

PSYCHIATRIST POSTED: The Sindh health department has posted a psychiatrist, Dr Abdul Salam Sheikh, in the Shah Bhitai Hospital, Latifabad, who will begin examining patients next week. Earlier, Dr Shaikh worked in the Sir Cowasjee Jehangir Institute of Psychiatry.