Pakistan has achieved a milestone by making significant progress in the field of cancer and liver treatment.
Expert surgeons at the Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute and Research Center PKLI in Lahore have successfully performed the country’s first robotic Whipple surgery and the first robotic right hemi hepatectomy.
According to officials, these two achievements reflect that public sector medical institutions now have the capability to perform advanced and less painful operations that were previously available only abroad.
PKLI Dean Dr Faisal Saud Dar said that around 500 robotic surgeries across various specialties have been completed at the institution so far, which is evidence of the rapid growth of robotic surgery in Pakistan.
He said that both operations will prove to be an important turning point in the field of minimally invasive surgery, and now complex pancreas and liver operations can be performed safely within the country.
The Whipple surgery, medically known as pancreaticoduodenectomy, is considered one of the most complex abdominal operations and is usually performed for the treatment of pancreatic and bile duct cancers.
Similarly, in a robotic right hemi hepatectomy, the right portion of the liver is removed, which is usually performed in cases of liver tumors or complex liver diseases.
Traditionally, both surgeries were carried out through large incisions, involving greater blood loss, complications, and prolonged recovery. However, with robotic technology, operations can now be performed with greater precision, resulting in reduced blood loss, fewer complications, and faster recovery for patients.
