Robotic surgery at Indraprastha Apollo restores hope for 37-year-old battling fibroid-related fertility risks

New Delhi [India], January 23 : A private hospital in New Delhi was able to successfully treat multiple uterine fibroids and abnormal uterine bleeding in a 37-year-old patient while preserving her uterus and thereby her fertility and chances of future pregnancy through robotic-assisted surgery.
"Indraprastha Apollo Hospital today announced a pioneering robotic-assisted procedure performed by renowned gynaecological oncologist and robotic surgeon Dr. Pakhee Aggarwal to successfully treat multiple uterine fibroids and abnormal uterine bleeding in a 37-year old patient, while preserving her uterus and thereby her fertility and chances of future pregnancy," as per a press release from the Apollo Hospital.
The complex procedure involved robotic excision of several intramural and sub-serosal fibroids, as well as hysteroscopic removal of a large submucosal fibroid protruding into the cervix which was causing heavy bleeding, simultaneously. The surgery involved small incisions, and the use of robotics minimised blood loss.
Advanced robotic techniques were carefully used to stitch the areas of the uterus where fibroids were removed, without causing any damage to the organ. The multi-disciplinary clinical team included gynaecological oncologist and robotic surgeon, Dr Pakhee Aggarwal, anesthetist and consulting physician, Dr LR Sharma. The 4-hour procedure concluded without complications.
Speaking on the path breaking development, Dr Pakhee Aggarwal, Senior Consultant, Gynaecological Oncology and Robotic Surgery said "Traditionally, patients presenting with abnormal growths both inside and outside the uterus along with heavy uncontrollable bleeding would require highly invasive surgery, often resulting in removal of the uterus itself.
He further said in our patient's case, this would have meant taking away her prospects of getting pregnant in the future, which can detrimentally impact unmarried women both medically and psychosocially. It was the patient's wish to not remove her uterus and we made sure to abide by it. Our state-of-the-art minimally invasive robotic procedure ingeniously enabled tackling all the symptomatic uterine fibroids simultaneously, while retaining and reconstructing the uterus in its entirety using advanced suturing methods.
Thereby we successfully preserved uterine and ovarian function and the possibilities of conception of this 37-year old patient should she plan for pregnancy later on. This truly demonstrates how cutting-edge medical technology when combined with the expertise of seasoned doctors can come up with solutions for even complex gynecological conditions without compromising the future Quality of Life of the patients, Dr Pakhee Aggarwal said.
"The hospital leveraged its advanced infrastructure like robotic surgery systems, modular OTs, dedicated inpatient services and top clinical talent to enable the successful treatment outcome for this critical case. Post discharge, the patient has recovered well, with return to normal menstruation, stabilization of haemoglobin levels and resumption of normal activities," the release stated.