Bhubaneswar:Shailesh Puntambekar is the first in Asia to perform uterus transplant and also one of the leading laparoscopic cancer surgeons in the country.
The Pune based surgeon, in an interview to Orissa POST, answers the most crucial questions about the deadly disease cancer and, latest techniques and cures being researched on and how Odisha is prepped to tackle the disease.
Excerpts from the interview:
How is laparoscopic surgery different from the conventional surgery for cancer?
Unlike the conventional surgery, in the laparoscopic surgery, small holes are created above the affected part and surgery is performed by inserting the equipment inside the body aided with a camera. It gives a three dimensional image which provides vivid images of the inside. It enables us to be more precise and record evidence with much better clarity.
Are the cancer patients more eager to go under the knife if it’s laparoscopic?
Yes! More people are inclined to be operated through the laparoscopic method.
The benefits include –lesser cuts, less blood loss, more precision, evidence-based imaging to prevent unnecessary negligence charges towards doctors and very fast recovery of patients post surgery. Chances of relapse of cancerous cells are also lesser with the use of this technology.
What about the costs involved in such surgeries compared to open cut ones?
Not only laparoscopic surgery is effective medically but also they are economic in nature. In cases of cervical cancer in females, the whole procedure would cost somewhere around Rs 65,000. However, if it’s a bit more complicated then it may be a bit expensive.
After talking to you, it feels that laparoscopic surgery is like elixir for cancer patients then why hasn’t this been the first choice of patients?
For this surgery to be performed we need highly qualified, dexterous doctors and in India there is dearth of such doctors. Even in private hospitals you won’t find the doctors that I am talking about. This is indubitably a very complicated surgery. It is quite popular in European and American countries. There you would find this to be the first choice of patients but in India the case is completely different.
Do you think that states like Odisha are deprived of such technology and the dexterous doctors?
As I said, even the private hospitals aren’t well equipped with the technology needed to perform the surgery, let alone the government-run hospitals. The scene is no different here in the state. That’s why I have planned to render my services to Odisha by visiting the CARE Hospital here twice a month. I would perform the laparoscopic surgeries along with other doctors thereby they would also learn from it. The aim is to train as many doctors as we can so that the dearth no longer exists.
Can you tell us where Odisha stands in the cancer index? How many cases are usually reported from here?
At my hospital in Pune, I see many cancer patients coming from places like Cuttack, Puri and other areas of the state for treatment. There are many, I would say. However, I have always felt such facilities should be here in the state so that they do not need to travel to far-off places like Pune and Mumbai for treatment.
Manish Kumar,OP