KARACHI: Experts at an international seminar were unanimous in their opinion that robotic surgery offered greater accuracy and precision than traditional surgery and it was the best platform to usher in the era of digitisation.

The experts reflected a consensus of opinion at the event organised by the Pakistan Society of Robotic Surgeons (PSRS) in collaboration with the Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation on SIUT premises on Saturday.

Prof Saeed Qureshi, the vice chancellor of Dow University of Health Sciences, who is also the president of the PSRS, inaugurated the seminar.

Renowned surgeon and SIUT Director Prof Adib Rizvi presided over the event.

During the course of discussion, prominent speakers and eminent robotic surgeons shared their concerns and experiences over a host of issues confronting the present day surgical sciences.

Health experts at the event highlight important aspects of robotic surgery

They pointed out there were definite and clear advantages of the new technology over traditional surgery and that one of the most important features of robotic surgery was its capacity to work inside the confined areas of human body with accuracy and precision.

Presenting case studies and their observations, the experts representing different countries said the new technology offered immense merits and was being broadly used for treating patients suffering from various cancers including that of kidney, prostrate, pancreatic, lung and urinary bladder.

Keyhole incision, reduced blood loss, less pain and decreased stay of patients in hospital were important aspects of robotic procedures, they said.

The seminar intended to keep medical professionals abreast with the latest cutting edge technology and extend its benefit to those who need it.

Several eminent robotic surgeons from different parts of the world including the UK, Australia, India and Pakistan shared their expertise in the field.

The overseas expert speakers included Dr Khurshid Guru, the chairman of the Urology Department, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Centre, Buffalo, US; Dr Mark Slack, the medical director of the CMR Surgical, Cambridge UK; Dr Marcus Carey, the head of Uro-gynecology, Royal Women’s Hospital, Melbourne, Australia; and Dr Pritpal Singh, the head of Urology, Robotic Surgery & Kidney Transplant, New Delhi, India.

Local speakers included Prof Shahid Rasul of the Jinnah Postgr­aduate Medical Centre, Dr Nauman Zafar of the Pakistan Kidney Liver Institute and Research Centre, Lahore, Prof Mehmood Ayaz of King Edward Medical University, Lahore and Mohd Arsalan Khan and Dr Rehan Mohsin of the SIUT.

A press release had stated the SIUT offered free treatment and believed that investment in robotic surgical technology would go a long way in achieving more milestones in other multiple disciplines.

At SIUT, the robotic surgery programme was launched in 2017 in collaboration with the Dr Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital Karachi. So far, over 2,000 procedures have been carried out at the institute. This included 200 surgeries performed at SIUT’s institutional network across Sindh.

Published in Dawn, November 6th, 2023