KATHMANDU, August 6: Kathmandu Medical College (KMC) has started the robotic surgery service for the first time in Nepal. The hospital held a press conference and informed the media about the service.
Keshav Sapkota, information officer for the medical college, said that the service will start within the third week of August at the hospital. He shared that an American equipment manufacturer trained the hospital’s neurosurgeon Dr Amit Thapa and team in robotic neurosurgery.
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According to Dr Sunil Sharma, chairman of the college, the technology for robotic surgery services has been brought with an investment of Rs 100 million.
In the robotic surgery process, the navigation system will inform the surgeons the whereabouts of a tumor and nerves on the 3D monitor. As per the information, tumors are removed through holes in the head and spinal cord. The college claims that patients will not require major surgeries as the technology can easily tell how far the disease has spread. In the previous surgical procedure, surgeons have been working by making imaginary 3D images while operating on the internal organs of the body.
Dr Sharma said that this service is being launched in Nepal for the first time and second in SAARC countries after India. The hospital said that the service was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic as the arrival of the equipment was delayed due to the lockdown.