MUMBAI, February 6: An endoscope is inserted through the navel of a 30-year-old woman in Brussels, Belgium. A video camera travels through layers of tissue, vividly capturing a laser beam swiftly destroying unwanted flesh in the women's Fallopian tubes. At the same time, miles away in Mumbai, doctors from Agra, Ahmedabad, Sholapur and Pune question the woman's surgeon about the procedure.A live satellite relay of the endoscopic laser surgery was successfully conducted at the Bombay Hospital Institute of Medical Science here today. While the surgery was being performed at the University of Brussels, over 500 gynaecologists from India, watched the procedure at the Bombay Hospital's Birla Matushri Sabhagrah.
The live relay was a part of the International Congress on Fallopian Tubes being held at the Bombay Hospital. Even as he performed the surgery, Dr Jacques Donaez explained the details of the procedure, simultaneously answering queries from doctors in Mumbai. Describing the event as a ``milestone inmedical education'', Dr Gautam Allahbadia explained, ``This laser assisted laparoscopy was used to correct a condition in which the Fallopian tubes of a patient are dilated and closed. Due to this, the fibria cannot pick up the ova and the woman is unable to conceive''.
Dr Sadhana Desai, one of the organisers of the conference, pointed out, ``Usually, we invite experts from abroad to demonstrate their skills at these conferences. But then, they often complain about the equipment and trained assisting staff. This way, we can watch them operate with superior quality equipment and a team they are familiar with''.
``This is an excellent opportunity for doctors from small towns, who may never get a chance to go abroad, to watch this surgery and even clear their doubts about the procedure,'' said Narendra Malhotra, a gynaecologist from Agra.
A representative of the centre, Dr Vishwanath Karande said, ``For a demonstration held at 6.30 pm here, the operation will have be done at 7 am on a snowy morning there.Patients have been cajoled into being operated this early. We've even hired limousines to fetch the patients as other cars might not be reliable in the snow.''
Tomorrow evening, X-ray and Ultra-sound procedures from the Centre for Human Reproduction, Chicago will be relayed live.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
