Dr. Mandar Deshpande - The Da Vinci Robotic System

Case I:
PARAPHARYNGEAL SPACE TUMOR
A young patient presented with a tumor around his pharynx (the passage that leads from the cavities of the nose to voice box and food pipe). The surgery is usually done through a cut in the neck. The patient was specifically concerned about the scar and damage to his facial nerve which can have devastating consequences like facial disfigurement. With the help of the DA VINCI robotic system, the incision in the neck was avoided and tumor was removed completely through his mouth with no resulting scars or nerve damage.

Case II:
TONSILLAR SARCOMA (A RARE MALIGNANT TUMOR OF THE TONSIL)
A patient presented with growth on the Tonsils diagnosed as sarcoma. This is an area very prone to bleeding and pain after surgery. Also patients may have difficulty in swallowing food because of a raw spot in the mouth. With the DA VINCI system, the tumor was removed radically and all the complications were minimized. Healing of the oral wound was faster and patient could resume swallowing quicker resulting in adequate nutrition which in turn accelerates healing.

Case III:
LARGE MINOR SALIVARY GLAND TUMOR ON BASE OF TONGUE
TRANS ORAL ROBOTIC SURGERY (TORS) is the state of the art, minimally invasive surgical technique for small tumors on the base of tongue, with the optical and technical advantages of robotic surgical instruments; we were able to remove a large tumor with adequate margins. The system provided excellent visualization of the posterior part of the tongue, not easily achievable with conventional surgery with good bleeding control and excellent post operative outcomes.

Case IV:
NECK DISSECTION FOR ORAL CANCERS
The first ever Robotic Neck Dissection in INDIA was performed at our hospital.In this procedure a small cut was made at the back of ear and with the help of Robotic arms the entire neck could be visualized and approached. In conventional surgery this requires large cuts in front of neck which results in disfiguring scars. Now with the advent of DA VINCI system this has been overcome and surgery could be completed with cosmetically appealing scars and excellent post operative outcome. The duration of hospital stay is also reduced due to faster recovery and early return to normalcy.