Robot-Assisted Prostate Cancer Surgery More Successful than Open Surgery

The European Urology journal has published a study led by the Vattikuti Urology Institute at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan.  This study compares open radical prostatectomies and robot-assisted radical prostatectomies.  In the short time that robot-assisted radical prostatectomies have been performed, many significant benefits have evoloved for both the patient and surgeon.  For the full article, visit  http://europeanurology.com/article/S0302-2838(11)01411-4/fulltext#section-3-results.

Summary:
Open radical prostatectomies used to be more common than robot-assisted prostatectomies.  This study compares open vs. robot assisted prostatectomies, and shows that robot-assisted radical prostatectomies are now more common and are more succesful than open radical prostatectomies.

This study was based on data from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample from October 2009-December 2009.  In that time, 11,889 patients had robot-assisted radical prostatectomies and 7,389 patients had open prostatectomies.  This study is based on nationwide data.  Prior comparative studies only compared data within one institution or with one surgeon.  More robot-assisted surgeries were conducted at urban teaching institutions, and most of them were at high-volume hospitals. 

Robot-assisted surgeries were also found to be less likely to:
-Need a blood transfusion
-Have a prolonged hospital stay
-Suffer complications during or after surgery (such as cardiac, respiratory or vascular issues)

This study was led by the Vattikuti Urology Institute at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan.  Henry Ford Hospital is a Vattikuti Foundation Network Hopsital.  Dr. Mani Menon started the robotic surgery program at the Vattikuti Urology Institute in 2000.  He and his team have performed over 7,000 robotic surgeries to date and have published many papers on robotic surgery.

MBBS course may soon become of 6-year duration

Ghulam Nabi Azad, union health minister, recommended that the MBBS program be extended by one year.  However, many doctors in the Indian Medical Association (IMA) disagree with this recommendation.

The change would include a reducing the MBBS internship by 6 months and add a 1 year rural post.


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Vattikuti Foundation Partner Uses Surgical Robot to Help African Child

Ashura Ibrahim, a 7-year-old girl from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania had been injured about two years ago in an accident on the road near her home.  Her bladder had been damaged and her only medical option there left her with a tube to drain her urine. Not only was this an embarrassing and difficult thing for a young girl to live with, it was also a health risk.

One year ago, the medical team at Apollo Hospital, Chennai took on the challenge. Pediatric Urologists examined her and Dr. V. Sripathi devised a surgery that used a flap of muscle from her bladder, which was transformed into a tube as a substitute for the urethra.  The drain tube was gone, and she returned home a happy girl.

Recently, Ashura was brought back for a routine checkup.  She was found to have a complication that caused urine to reverse flow back into her kidney.  Her condition was a concern because serious infection and renal damage could result.  More surgery was needed. Because he did not want to do a procedure that would again leave her with the dreaded tube to drain urine, Dr. Sripathi decided to use the daVinci robot to perform a “complex redo on the bladder base”.

The three-and-a half hour procedure was unique.  Dr. Sripathi called it a “first”.    He added, “Robotic surgery enabled us to achieve a perfect result in a very difficult situation with very minimal morbidity, with no pain and helped achieve (patient) discharge within a day.”
Ashura, according to media reports, is again completely happy and living a normal life, back home in Tanzania with her parents.  She will return next year for a follow-up visit.
A very satisfied Dr. Sripathi claims, “Robotic surgery will revolutionize the practice of surgery in children, especially in such complex situations, without resulting to large incisions and prolonged hospitalization.”

Dr. Mahendra Bhandari, C E O of the Vattikuti Foundation said,  “We are very pleased that the Foundation-facilitated establishment of a high powered robotic surgical program was used to help change the life of Ashura, a girl so much in need, so far from her home.  When used in the right hands, the surgical robot truly is a world-changing tool.”

Reports from The Hindu, The Times of India, Apollo Hospitals and the Vattikuti Foundation contributed to this article.   D. Meinhard

Raj Vattikuti - From the Heart

During an impromptu speech following dinner at the VGR 2012 Global Robotics conference, Raj Vattikuti, founder of the Vattikuti Foundation, shares his feelings about healthcare, technology, helping the poor and more.

Vattikuti Global Robotics

This event was the first of its kind in India and was held 13-15 January 2012. The focus was on robotic surgery, highlighting the current status and future of robotic surgery in Urology, Gynecology, Cardiovascular Surgery, ENT and General Surgery. Courses were offered in how to establish a cost-effective robotic surgical program in a hospital and operating theatre management. Live robotic surgery demonstrations were shown by the best in the world to educate and expose surgeons to the best practices and new techniques as well as outcomes for their patients.

Vattikuti Foundation Road Show

Dr. Mani Menon and team are on the road show in 6 cities along with the Vattikuti Technologies and VFRSI team. The team would be performing live surgeries as well as giving lectures on Robotic surgery during the course of the road show.

Founded on April 26, 1997

The Vattikuti Foundation is a non-profit corporation that was founded by Raj and Padma Vattikuti in 1997. The Foundation serves both the local community in Southeast Michigan as well as causes in India and other parts of the world. Through the Vattikuti Foundation Raj and his wife Padma continue to lend their support to a number of worthwhile charitable causes. The Foundation has distinguished itself by founding the Vattikuti Urology Institute at Henry Ford Hospitals and the Vattikuti Digital Breast Diagnostic Center at Beaumont Hospitals. The Vattikuti Foundation is committed to making robotic surgery and other technologically advanced medical procedures of the future cost effective and available to underprivileged communities. Vattikuti Foundation also focuses on creating an infrastructure to coordinate and reach out to the people who are in poverty through the Poverty Alleviation Initiative program in India. Its initial pilot program has positively affected villages in the Tumkur District of Karnataka. The goal of this project is to reach over a million people over the next ten years.