A rare operation and the first of its kind in paediatric surgery worldwide was performed at King Khaled University Hospital in Riyadh by Dr. Ayed Al-Qahtani, the Paediatrics Consultant at the Hospital.
A robot was used to staple the stomach of an obese child who had become unable to move normally and suffered from joint pains and diabetes, according to a report published today by Saudi Gazette. Stomach stapling is becoming a popular method to reduce obesity and it does away with attending illnesses such as diabetes, hypertension and pain in the joints in more than 90 percent of the cases.
Under the procedure, the stomach area is reduced so that the patient becomes full with a light meal of say two slices of bread and a drink. The operation is generally not performed on children unless it is absolutely necessary, as was the case with this child.
The robot used for the surgery is an electronic machine produced by a specialized company under the name of Davenci. Davenci is a mini-computer with integrated television cameras. Laporoscopy is done with a very high degree of accuracy thanks to the three-dimensional picture that the camera reflects of the area on which the surgery is to be performed.
The US Food and Drug Administration has recently approved this robot for use in multiple operations.
