Robot-assisted paediatric surgeries have better outcomes and require a shorter hospital stay than conventional surgeries, doctors said.

Such surgeries cause minimal blood loss and ensure a faster return to normality, a paediatric robotic surgeon said.

“Laparoscopic surgery is akin to using only one stick to perform the procedure, whereas deploying a robot means using all five fingers of the hand. There is more room for manoeuvering, which gives more precision,” said Debasish Mitra, a paediatric surgeon at Apollo Multispeciality Hospitals, Calcutta, who performs robotic surgeries.

“There is 360-degree movement and almost no blood loss,” he said.

The hospital started paediatric robotic surgery four months back.

“It minimises trauma for young patients and ensures a faster recovery. For children, a shorter hospital stay and less pain are even more important. A child patient is more restless than an adult and does not like a longer hospital stay. It is important they are discharged early,” Mitra said.

He and Sanghamitra Bhattacharya, another paediatric surgeon at the hospital, perform paediatric robotic surgeries.

Mitra cited the example of a two-year-old child who underwent robot-assisted surgery for a choledochal cyst at the hospital recently.

A choledochal cyst is a swelling in the bile duct and is usually found in young children. If not treated, they can cause serious liver damage, including bile duct cancer.

This congenital condition caused chronic abdominal pain, inflammation and significant weight loss. The advanced robotic procedure ensured the safe removal of the cyst while preserving vital structures, said Mitra.

“He was discharged within seven days. Had a laparoscopic procedure been performed the patient would have been discharged two or three days later,” he said.

Mitra said robotic surgery costs about Rs 1 lakh more than laparoscopic surgery but the families of many patients opt for the costly procedure because of its benefits.

Surinder Singh Bhatia, the director of medical services at Apollo Multispecialty Hospitals, said 11 robot-assisted paediatric surgeries have been done in the hospital so far.

“Robotic surgeries in oncology, urology and a few other specialities are not uncommon but paediatric robotic surgery is unheard of in Calcutta,” said Bhatia.