Doctors at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences claimed on Wednesday that they carried out the world's first robotic surgery to remove a tumour in the bladder which was leading to hypertension in the patient.
Termed medically as bladder pheochromocytome, the tumour is a catecholamine secreting growth of chromaffin cells and gives rise to hypertension.
The patient, 53-year old Ram Chander, had a medical history of high blood pressure and difficulty in passing urine since the last two-and a half years.
After a CT scan, it was found that he had a tumour in the urinary bladder which was giving rise to the back pressure effect on the left ureter and kidney.
Giving details of the surgery, Prof Narmada P Gupta, Head of the Department of Urology at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, said a double-J stent was passed to relieve the obstruction of the left kidney.
The diagnosis of pheochromocytome was further confirmed by blood and urine tests and a meta-iodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) scan. He was taken for robotic surgery for the removal of the tumour from the urinary bladder and re-implantation of the ureter.
Five small key hole incisions were made and the surgery was completed within three hours with 150 ml blood loss, Gupta said.
The patient's blood pressure has returned to normal after the surgery on Tuesday and he is recovering well and will be discharged in 2-3 days.