National, June 20, 2023: Building on its success, Apollo, the world’s largest vertically integrated healthcare provider, expands its dedicated Robotic Colorectal Surgery Programme across 6 cities – Chennai, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Delhi, Mumbai and Vishakhapatnam. With highly skilled colorectal surgeons, organ-specific super specialties, and colorectal cancer treatment options, Apollo continues to lead the way in colorectal robotic surgeries offering unmatched precision and accuracy.
Apollo’s collective robotic colorectal surgery experience has now surpassed over 1000 procedures, maximum till date in the country.
The use of this technology and technique, particularly for colorectal cancer surgery procedures has led to significant changes by helping surgeons to have a very precise dissection in areas such as a narrow pelvis, which ultimately leads to a drop in readmission rates to 1.9% and having no signs of cancer post-surgery (cancer clearance rates:4.6%), reduced wound infection rates (1.4%) and reduced post-surgery complications (0.9%) when compared to the global market.
Dr. Preetha Reddy, Executive Vice-Chairperson, Apollo Hospitals Group said, “Since inception, we have been determined to keep raising the bar in clinical excellence and deliver the global best in terms of standard of care to our patients. In keeping with this ethos, we have continuously championed advancements in the field of colorectal robotic surgeries through focused research and training programs. At large, Apollo’s highly skilled robotic colorectal surgeons have been pivotal in shaping a new realm of robotic colorectal surgery in the region. A dedicated program built on a foundation of in-depth understanding patient profiles, a steadfast commitment to enhance clinical outcomes while lowering costs of care, the unprecedented success achieved at Apollo Hospitals, it underlines the versatility and standardization of our robotic techniques, team and clinical services.”
The high volume of robotic colorectal surgeries allows cost efficiency, with the cost of robotic colorectal surgery almost at par with standard keyhole surgery. Such minimally invasive techniques have several short-term and long-term benefits for patients– from having less blood loss and quicker recovery. The Apollo Hospital’s Colorectal Robotics Program represents a remarkable fusion of cutting-edge technology and the expertise of skilled surgeons. By harnessing the power of robotics, Apollo Hospitals has transformed the way colorectal surgeries are performed, ensuring the highest level of precision and efficiency.
Dr Venkatesh Munikrishnan – Consultant Colorectal & Robotic Surgeon, Apollo Hospitals who has performed over 600 robotic colorectal surgeries said, “We are seeing more and more younger adults getting diagnosed with colorectal cancer because of sedentary lifestyle and poor eating habits. There is a need to create awareness about the disease and take the right preventive steps to diagnose the disease at an early stage. People with family history of cancer should screen themselves every year as a preventive step to increase their chances of survival.
Having said that, our robotic colorectal cancer surgery outcomes have been extremely satisfying. In fact, we have patients coming from across the subcontinent with 40% of our patients coming in from South Asia. This truly reflects the quality of surgery and care delivered at Apollo.”
Robotic surgery has emerged as a game-changer in the medical field. It offers numerous advantages over traditional surgical techniques, including enhanced visualization, superior dexterity, and increased accuracy. These attributes are particularly crucial when dealing with complex colorectal procedures that demand utmost precision.
Apollo’s colorectal robotic surgery programme offers cutting-edge minimally invasive robotic surgical techniques and technology in the treatment of patients with colorectal diseases, since 2016. An average of 150 robotic assisted surgeries for colorectal cancer are performed every year. Currently, Apollo is the only hospital in the world to use both Robots – Da Vinci Intuitive Robot and Hugo Medtronic Robot for colorectal cancer surgery procedures. By combining the expertise of surgeons with the technological advancements of robotic systems, colorectal surgeries are poised to achieve better outcomes, ensuring improved patient recovery, reduced post-operative pain, and an elevated overall quality of life.