Breakthrough in robotic surgery for breast cancer; minimal invasive tech used in Karnataka

Bengaluru: With robotic surgery advancing by leaps and bounds, cancer specialists have adopted various robotic tools to improve accuracy and efficiency, making surgeries minimally invasive to achieve the best rates of recovery. 

One such example is the use of robotics for the first-ever case of a Robotic Nipple Sparing Mastectomy (RNSM) in Karnataka. 

Dr Jayanti Thumsi, lead consultant of Breast Oncology at Bengaluru's Apollo Cancer Centre, became India's first woman surgeon trained in Robotic Breast Surgery. She conducted the first RNSM procedure in Karnataka with an implant reconstruction on 52-year-old Aarthi (name changed on request) for an aggressive type of breast cancer two weeks ago. Two more women have undergone the RNSM procedure since. 

In a media interaction on Wednesday, Dr Jayanti explained that the procedure involves using the robot Da Vinci system's extended "arms" to make a less than four-centimetre-deep incision in the armpit region to remove the affected breast tissue, allowing the surgeon to reconstruct the breast to a "near-normal" appearance while sparing the nipple and surrounding skin. 

"Scarring is minimal. There is no blood loss, the pain is substantially lower, and the recovery is much faster. Patients could even be discharged the next day and return to a regular routine soon after, as opposed to the conventional surgery, which requires them to rest for a few days due to the pain," she explained. 

Controlled by a console operated by the surgeon, the robot enhances vision 10 times by displaying a clear view of the blood vessels and tissue on a screen, enabling the surgeon to make precise cuts through the 540-degree rotational "wrist" of the robotic arm, explained Tapan Desai, Area Sales Director, Intuitive, the provider of the technology. 

The operational training involves trying out a simulator, operating on animal tissue and the observation of live surgeries before working with the robot. The cost of the surgery can range between Rs 4.5 lakh and Rs 5.5 lakh, depending on other surgical components and consumables used during the surgery. 

However, if the size of the tumour is less than 5 cm, if it is attached to the skin or underlying muscles, and if the cancer has spread to other organs, this robotic surgery cannot be opted for, noted Dr Jayanti.