Rambodoc at large

Laparoscopic surgery for thyroid now
Our Bureau



Kolkata , Sept. 27
A BLOODLESS "Endoscopic Thyroidectomy" through the anterior chest (breast approach) has been successfully performed at the Apollo Gleneagles Clinic, Gariahat, here, by Dr B. Ramanna.
According to him, patients, operated under GA, can leave the hospital or clinic within 48 hours after dissection of a portion of the thyroid gland. The lump is incised through a minimally invasive surgical procedure, using 1.9-mm-thin "needlescopic" instruments.
Briefing newspersons here on Tuesday on the revolutionary surgical procedure, which was also highly cost-effective, Dr Ramanna said the team of surgeons led by him has performed the two-hour operation on an elderly woman patient, who was discharged after three days. Costing around Rs 40,000, he said this was "patient-friendly" affordable treatment, with zero tissue injury and no hospitalisation.
He said the Japanese were now using the more advanced trans axiliary (armpit) approach for similar surgeries, and it would not be long before such advanced techniques are tried in India too. Considering that a large number of goiter cases needing surgery occur in young and middle-aged women, he visualised a major role for endoscopic surgery in the modern management of the disease.
Describing practice of such revolutionary surgical procedures as a huge leap forward for surgical treatment in India, Dr Ramanna said it was an indication of things to come in terms of patient-friendly global best practices in medical field in India. He felt the superior cosmetic and possibly equivalent functional results of `endoscopic thyroidectomy', as compared to conventional surgery, will probably lead to a larger number of patients seeking the above treatment.