Patna: Doctors at the Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (IGIMS) have successfully performed advanced minimally invasive surgeries on two patients suffering from oesophageal (food pipe) cancer.The first patient, Md Shahnawaz Khan (53), a resident of Bhagalpur, was advised to travel to Delhi for surgery after being diagnosed with food pipe cancer. Facing steep financial constraints, Khan turned to the IGIMS, where Dr Saket Kumar, additional professor in the department of gastrointestinal (GI) surgery, evaluated him. Dr Kumar performed a completely minimally invasive laparoscopic-thoracoscopic esophagectomy, successfully removing the tumour. Khan recovered and was discharged on the eighth postoperative day, said Dr Saket, adding the patient was fit and fine during the observation and had been discharged 20 days back.In the second case, 34-year-old Sushmita Kumari from Vaishali presented with a large oesophageal tumour. She initially underwent combination chemotherapy and radiotherapy at the State Cancer Institute, IGIMS. After an excellent response to treatment that reduced the tumour size, her surgery was done earlier this week and she is expected to be discharged on Monday.The surgical team included Dr Saket Kumar, Dr Sanjay Kumar, Dr Tushar Patel, Dr Netranand, and Dr Danish, supported by an anaesthesia team led by Dr Akhileshwar.Dr Manish Mandal, medical superintendent and head of GI surgery, said that advanced laparoscopic and robotic procedures are now fully functional at the IGIMS at an affordable cost. This allows patients from across Bihar and neighbouring states to access top-tier cancer treatment locally without the financial strain of travelling to major metros. IGIMS director Dr Bindey Kumar commended the multidisciplinary medical and nursing teams for their dedication to advancing tertiary healthcare in the region.
