ADVANTAGES of minimally invasive surgery passed on to kids

Ludhiana, July 4, 2013: Three kids aged 8 years, 10 years and 12 years were recently operated upon in DMCH for a disease called Ureteropelvic Junction Obstruction (UPJO), which caused obstruction to their urine flow from kidney. The surgery was performed by a team of surgeons and anaesthetists under the guidance of Dr Baldev Singh Aulakh, Professor of Urology and Head Transplant Unit.
According to Dr Aulakh, Ureteropelvic Junction Obstruction (UPJO) is a congenital obstruction to urine flow. Earlier, operation for such cases in children was done by giving a long incision over body and require hospitalisation atleast for 5 days. But with advances in surgical techniques, the operation can now be done by using laparoscopes. The surgery of these three children was done by putting three 5mm incision over abdomen using specially designed instruments. A small camera was inserted into the abdomen, which guided the small working instruments. The patients were discharged on the third day after operation.
In another case, a 3-years old child was also operated at DMCH for undescended testes, a disease in which the child’s testes remain in abdomen. Such testes remain prone for development of cancer, and in long run, the cells required to father children gets destroyed and the child becomes infertile at his adulthood. Early surgery prevents such cellular damage and helps early detection of cancer.
The new minimally invasive surgical techniques have revolutionised many surgical procedures by enabling surgeons to access body cavities for procedures while reducing the injury to overlying skin, muscles, and nerves that occurs with traditional open surgery. It avoids handling of tissue with hands and unnecessary tissue damage. With less injury to skin, muscle, and nerves, there are fewer wound complications, postoperative pain management is easier, and the return to normal functioning is quicker. For children, this can mean less time missed at school. For parents, it often means less time away from work caring for their child.           
Ureteropelvic Junction Obstruction (UPJO) disease is a silent killer and may damage kidneys without causing any symptoms. A regular checkup by skilled Urologists will help in early detection of the disease and its early treatment.