1,500 robotic surgeries and counting at JPMC

Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) has completed more than 1,500 robotic surgeries since launching its programme in October 2023, prompting the hospital to plan an expansion of the facility to cope with growing demand.

The hospital is currently performing eight to 10 robotic surgeries a day, with the procedures carried out so far estimated to be worth more than Rs600 million. JPMC Deputy Director Dr Saddam Saleh said the number of robotic operations could reach between 1,800 and 2,000 by the end of the year if the current pace was maintained. He said patients were not charged any additional fee for robotic surgery, as the facility was being provided free of cost under the Sindh government's budget.

Head of JPMC's Urology Department Dr Naresh Kumar said robotic surgery had significantly improved the hospital's ability to perform complex procedures with greater precision and smaller incisions. "An open surgical procedure may require an incision of 15 to 20 centimetres, whereas robotic surgery can be performed through three small openings," he said.

According to Dr Kumar, robotic procedures also reduce blood loss and postoperative discomfort and enable faster recovery. In complex operations, the technology provides surgeons with a detailed three-dimensional view of the surgical area.