Shimla
Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital (IGMC), Shimla, has achieved a major milestone in the field of advanced surgery by successfully performing its first fully laparoscopic near-total gastrectomy on a stomach cancer patient.
Addressing a press conference at the hospital’s committee hall on Wednesday, Assistant Professor of Surgical Gastroenterology, Dr. Vipin K. Sharma, informed that the complex procedure was carried out on February 2 on a 44-year-old woman. The advanced surgery lasted nearly five to six hours, during which around 80–90 percent of the patient’s stomach was removed using laparoscopic techniques.
The entire procedure was conducted internally with the help of modern surgical equipment, and only a small incision was made to remove the specimen. The patient’s condition remains stable and satisfactory, and she is expected to be discharged soon.
Doctors stated that such complex procedures are generally not available in most government hospitals and are performed only at select government institutions and specialised centres in South India. The surgery is being conducted at an estimated cost of ₹1 to ₹1.5 lakh.
Professor Ved Sharma, Head of Surgery Unit-2, said that several other complex surgeries have also been successfully performed at the institute and more will continue in the future. He highlighted that laparoscopic surgery offers significant benefits to patients. While open surgery typically requires a hospital stay of two to three weeks, patients undergoing laparoscopic procedures can recover and return home within about seven days.
The operation was performed under the guidance of Prof. Ved Sharma. The surgical team was led by Dr. Vipin K. Sharma and included Senior Resident Dr. Shubham Agrawal, Junior Residents Dr. Ashish Katwal and Dr. Lakshya Bansal. The anaesthesia team was headed by Associate Professor Dr. Manoj Pawar.
Senior Medical Superintendent Dr. Rahul Rao stated that the successful execution of such high-end surgeries has been made possible due to the Himachal Pradesh government’s efforts in upgrading medical equipment and providing advanced infrastructure. He credited Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu for strengthening healthcare facilities in the state, enabling institutions like IGMC to deliver cutting-edge medical services.
