Bhubaneswar, March 22: With the advancement of surgical technique and methods, rare surgical procedures can be undertaken in small cities today providing relief to scores of patients, Dr. Shailesh Puntambekar, who is known as India’s first robotic Oncosurgeon, said on Saturday.
Dr. Puntambekar, also known for developing laparascopic radical hysterectormy for cancer cervix which is known as the ‘Pune Technique’ worldover, said such surgeries were now duplicable and can be replicated anywhere.
The eminent surgeon was speaking at an ‘Advanced Minimal Invasive Surgery Workshop’ organised by the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology of the Institute of Medical Sciences and SUM Hospital, faculty of medicine of the Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan Deemed to be University here.
Dr. Puntambekar, who also performed laparascopic radical hysterectomy live on two patients for the education of participants of the workshop, said “he first conducted such a surgical procedure in 2003.
Recalling his first laparascopic radical hysterectomy, Dr. Puntambekar said he could take the step because “the patient believed in me when I was a nobody.” He published the article about the new technique in 2008 when he was asked to name the procedure after him.
“I was tempted to name the technique after me as it would have made me immortal, but I thought that it would have been unfair to several others who had supported me,” he said adding ‘I decided to call it the Pune Technique.
Dr. Puntambekar, who is the founder of the Galaxy Care Hospital at Pune, said cervical cancer constituted around 20 per cent of all cancer cases in India for which the new technique was proving to be beneficial.
Dr. Pradip Kumar Panigrahi, Director of Pradip’s Laparascopy in Bhubaneswar, also hailed the achievements of Dr. Puntambekar saying “every time pelvic anatomy is discussed, we remember him.”
Prof. (Dr.) Sanghamitra Mishra, Dean of IMS and SUM Hospital and Prof. (Dr.) Pusparaj Samantasinhar, Medical Superintendent of the hospital, also spoke. Prof. (Dr.) Manisha Sahu, Head of Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Prof. (Dr.) Tapasi Pati, Head of Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the IMS and SUM Hospital-2 at Phulnakhara, among others, were present.
