Patna: Bihar has recorded its first robotic-assisted surgery after doctors at the Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (IGIMS) in Patna successfully removed gallbladder stones using robotic technology. The procedure marks a significant step forward for the state’s public healthcare system, introducing advanced surgical technology at one of its leading government hospitals.
According to IGIMS medical superintendent Dr Manish Mandal, the surgery was carried out on Wednesday by the department of surgical gastroenterology and liver transplantation. The surgical team included Dr Manish Mandal, Dr Rakesh Kumar Singh and Dr Netranand, while the anaesthesia team comprised Dr Vinod K Verma, Dr Bibha and Dr Sonam Patel along with other medical staff. Hospital officials described the operation as the first successful robotic surgery conducted in Bihar.
Dr Mandal said the robotic system is currently undergoing trial runs across different departments before its formal launch. The trials are being conducted in departments including general surgery, urology, gastro surgery and paediatric surgery to ensure the system functions smoothly across multiple medical specialties.
The robotic surgery equipment will be formally inaugurated on March 15 by Bihar’s health minister, after which the hospital plans to begin offering the procedure regularly. Officials say the introduction of robotic-assisted surgery is expected to improve surgical precision and patient recovery outcomes.
IGIMS director Dr Binde Kumar thanked chief minister Nitish Kumar, health minister Mangal Pandey and the surgical gastroenterology and anaesthesia teams, along with the biomedical engineering department and operation theatre staff, for their role in making the technology available at the institute.
Hospital authorities also said the procedure has been priced significantly lower than in private hospitals. The cost of robotic surgery will be Rs 50,000 for patients admitted in the general ward and Rs 75,000 for those opting for private or special wards.
The first patient to undergo the procedure was a 26-year-old woman from Sheohar district who had been suffering from abdominal pain and vomiting for the past three months. After medical examination confirmed gallbladder stones, she opted for robotic surgery at IGIMS after learning that the technology had recently been introduced at the institute.
She was admitted earlier this week and underwent the operation on Wednesday, becoming the first patient to receive robotic-assisted gallbladder surgery at the hospital. Doctors said the procedure was successful, marking what they described as a milestone for healthcare services in Bihar.
