Coimbatore: A city hospital today beamed a unique surgery of 'Thoraco laparoscopic Esophagectomy' (TLE) for food pipe cancer, live to the ongoing 2nd International Live Laparoscopic Surgery meet at Dundee in UK.

The complicated surgery was telecast from Gem Hospital to Dundee, using the state-of-the-art two-day video conferencing equipment, the hospital director, Dr C Palanivelu said.

Elaborating on TLE, Palanivelu said laparoscopic approach has created a revolution in the surgical field, since earlier open approach to treat the food pipe cancer was associated with high mortality, heavy blood loss and prolonged recovery period.

With the advent of the new approach through laparoscopy, the mortality rate and post operative complications like pneumonia have come down drastically and patients can go home in three days, he said.

In this novel technique, the cancer-affected portion of food pipe was immobilised and removed through three small holes-each five mm-- using thoracoscopy in prone position. Then, the stomach is interpositioned in the chest and joined to the food pipe to the neck, Palanivelu said.

Claiming that over 500 surgeons witnessed the surgery, he said the hospital proposed to show live the 'Laparoscopic whipples procedure' for pancreatic cancer to Europe and Australia, which is considered to be one of the most complicated sugeries in open procedure itself.

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