A 10 year old boy from Bihar who was diagnosed with tuberculosis of the spine and brought to Delhi in a serious condition, underwent Robotic surgery to remove pus and infected tissue from the thoracic spine, allowing relief of pressure from the spinal cord, thereby relieving pain and improving power in the legs. Such surgeries have been conducted in the case of lumbar spine disc disease in the United States. This is the first case outside of the United States.The two hour surgery was successful, the child is comfortable and would return to school in two weeks,said the operating  spine surgeon.

Robotic  technique allows a special advantage of rotating 360 degrees. This means stitching, cutting and handling of tissues can be done with greater precision and accuracy. All this leads to less bleeding, less injury to tissues, and therefore less pain and faster recovery for the patient. The robotic arms are very strong and steady. They do not show tremor or do not get exhausted during difficult and long surgeries. Three-dimensional vision with 20 times magnification leads to much better visualisation of the operation area for the surgeon. In the spine, it allows access through minimal invasive means. Overall, this means a much better and effective treatment for the patient, especially when dealing with advanced surgeries and complex diseases, added Doctor.

Patient  got fever about five months ago, after which he developed back pain and bending of the spine. This made it difficult for him to walk. He developed weakness in the legs and was unable to go to school or play with friends.Parents brought him to Delhi after the treatment taken locally did not help him.

 An MRI revealed the collapse of the thoracic ninth and tenth vertebrae, leading to compression of the spinal cord along with a large collection of pus in and around the spine in that area and the chest cavity.Standard surgery in such cases involves a large cut in the chest with prolonged hospital stay. Pain after the procedure can slow down the recovery. Thus, the doctors then looked at the possibility of conducting a robotic surgery.

 Once he recovered from the procedure, the vertebras were fixed from behind a week later so as to enable early mobilisation.

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