In a major medical breakthrough at Chennai, doctors at Apollo Cancer Centre successfully performed India's first robotic cytoreductive surgery (CRS) with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) to treat the cancer of a 51 year old patient. So far, the CRS/HIPEC treatment has been performed as an open and an extensive operation, with prolonged hospitalization.

A robotic cytoreductive surgery is a surgical procedure in which a cancer patient is treated with minimal invasion. Smaller incisions are made on the patient’s abdomen and tumors are removed. Hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy is also called hot chemotherapy in which the abdominal cavity is filled with hot chemotherapy drugs for a while. HIPEC is used in combination with a surgery to treat abdominal cancers in advanced stage.

According to a press release from the hospital, the patient had tumors in ovaries and already underwent a surgery for removal of the uterus, ovaries, appendix. She was diagnosed with an appendix cancer that had spread to the lining of her abdomen. A team of doctors headed by Dr Ajit Pai performed the minimally invasive robotic CRS and treated her with HIPEC.

“This novel approach translated to a faster recovery and a quicker return to normal life for the patient. At one year follow up, she remains in perfect health and cancer free,” the doctors said.