Jaipur's SMS Medical College To Offer Robotic Kidney Transplant, First In Rajasthan

Jaipur: Sawai Man Singh Medical College will soon become one of the few healthcare institutes of the country to offer robotic kidney transplant. Head of Department of Urology, Dr Shivam Priyadarshi said kidney transplants are being conducted at the medical college for the last 25 years while cadaver transplants were started in 2015. In the meantime, preparations are underway for robotic kidney transplants which are safer, more accurate and less painful procedure for CKD patients, he said. Dr Priyadarshi said introduction of robotic kidney transplant in the Department of Urology will be a historic achievement for the health services in Rajasthan. He said as per traditional procedure, an incision is made in the abdomen for kidney transplant, but no incision is needed when the same procedure is performed using a robot. "As part of robotic technology, doctors do not operate directly, but perform the surgery with the help of 3-D vision and high-definition cameras through robotic arms. Compared to traditional transplants, only small incisions are made due to which, the patient bleeds less. The risk of pain and infection is also reduced and the patient recovers faster," he informed. The robotic procedure ensures that the patient would be able to walk within 24 hours of the operation. Length of hospital stay is also reduced. The cosmetic results are better as major surgery scars are invisible. Dr Priyadarshi said even complicated surgeries can be performed safely with robotic transplants. While connecting nerves and blood vessels is often time consuming and risky in traditional transplants, robotic technology makes the process more precise and easier, he said. Currently, only select large private hospitals across the country have the facility.