Minimally Invasive Cancer Surgery — Latest Treatment Now Available in Chennai at Gleneagles Fortis Hospital

Minimally Invasive Cancer Surgery — Latest Treatment Now Available in Chennai at Gleneagles Fortis Hospital

Chennai Patients Now Have Access to the Latest Minimally Invasive Cancer Surgery Techniques

Chennai — Gleneagles Fortis Hospital, Perumbakkam, continues to expand access to advanced minimally invasive cancer surgery under the leadership of Dr. Vimalathithan, Senior Consultant and Clinical Lead in Surgical Oncology. Patients across Chennai and Tamil Nadu can now access the latest keyhole and robotic-assisted surgical techniques for a wide range of cancers — treatment options that were, until recently, available only at a small number of centres nationally or required patients to travel abroad.

What Is Changing in Cancer Surgery — And Why It Matters for Chennai Patients

For decades, cancer surgery meant a large open incision, an extended hospital stay, and a lengthy, painful recovery. That standard is changing rapidly. Minimally invasive techniques — using small keyhole incisions and, increasingly, robotic-assisted precision — now represent the latest treatment approach for a growing list of cancers, offering equivalent oncological outcomes to open surgery with dramatically improved recovery.

"Patients in Chennai should not need to travel to Delhi, Mumbai, or abroad to access the latest minimally invasive cancer surgery techniques," says Dr.

Vimalathithan. "Our goal at Gleneagles Fortis Hospital is to ensure that world-class surgical oncology, including the most advanced minimally invasive and robotic approaches, is available right here in the city."

The Latest Techniques Now Available in Chennai

Robotic-Assisted Cancer Surgery

Dr. Vimalathithan, who holds FICRS certification — a dedicated Fellowship in Robotic Surgery — performs robotic cancer operations for breast, colorectal, gynaecological, gastric, and thyroid cancers using the Da Vinci robotic surgical system. This technology provides magnified three-dimensional vision and instrument precision beyond human capability, particularly valuable in confined anatomical spaces such as the pelvis.

Advanced Laparoscopic Techniques

For cancers not requiring robotic assistance, refined laparoscopic approaches continue to offer excellent outcomes with small incisions, reduced blood loss, and faster recovery compared to traditional open surgery.

HIPEC and PIPAC for Peritoneal Cancers

Among the most significant recent additions to Chennai's cancer treatment landscape, cytoreductive surgery combined with HIPEC (Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy) and PIPAC (Pressurised Intraperitoneal Aerosol Chemotherapy) are now available for patients with peritoneal spread from colorectal, ovarian, and gastric cancers — treatments previously accessible at only a handful of centres nationally.

Transoral and Scarless Approaches

For selected head, neck, and thyroid cancers, transoral robotic surgery and

remote-access thyroidectomy techniques now allow certain operations to be performed with no visible external scarring.

The Numbers Behind the Shift to Minimally Invasive Surgery

Recovery data from minimally invasive cancer surgery consistently demonstrates significant advantages over traditional open approaches. Hospital stays following minimally invasive cancer surgery typically range from 2 to 4 days, compared to 7 to 14 days for equivalent open procedures. Blood loss during robotic and laparoscopic cancer operations is frequently under 100ml, substantially lower than the 300 to 500ml commonly seen in open surgery. Full recovery timelines have similarly compressed — from 6 to 10 weeks after open surgery to 2 to 4 weeks following minimally invasive procedures for many cancer types.

Cancers Now Routinely Treated with Minimally Invasive Approaches at Gleneagles Fortis Hospital

The expanding scope of minimally invasive cancer treatment now available in Chennai includes breast cancer surgery with oncoplastic reconstruction, colorectal cancer surgery including complex rectal cancer operations, gastric cancer surgery with robotic gastrectomy, gynaecological cancer surgery including robotic hysterectomy for cervical and endometrial cancer, thyroid cancer surgery with nerve-monitoring technology, kidney cancer surgery with robotic partial nephrectomy, and selected liver and pancreatic cancer operations.

Why This Matters for Patient Decision-Making

For patients newly diagnosed with cancer in Chennai, this expansion of minimally invasive treatment options changes an important part of the treatment conversation. Where previously the choice may have been between open surgery locally or minimally invasive surgery at a distant centre, patients can now discuss minimally invasive and robotic options directly with their surgical oncologist as part of their initial treatment planning — without the additional burden of travel during an already difficult period.

"Every patient's cancer and clinical situation is different, and not every case is suitable for a minimally invasive approach," Dr. Vimalathithan notes. "But every patient deserves to have that conversation with a surgeon who is trained and equipped to offer it as a genuine option, not simply as a theoretical possibility available elsewhere."

Multidisciplinary Support for Every Case

Every cancer case considered for minimally invasive or robotic surgery at Gleneagles Fortis Hospital is reviewed by a multidisciplinary tumour board — bringing together surgical oncology, medical oncology, radiation oncology, radiology, and pathology specialists before a treatment plan is finalised. This ensures that the decision to proceed with a minimally invasive approach reflects the complete clinical picture, not a single specialist's assessment in isolation.

About Dr. Vimalathithan

Dr. Vimalathithan is Senior Consultant and Clinical Lead in Surgical Oncology, holding MS (General Surgery), MRCS from the Royal College of Surgeons, United Kingdom, M.Ch in Surgical Oncology — India's highest cancer surgery qualification — DNB, FMAS, FAIS, and FICRS in Robotic Surgery. He has received over 900 patient reviews on Google with a 5.0-star rating, reflecting consistent patient satisfaction across hundreds of cancer surgery cases.

He practises primarily at Gleneagles Fortis Hospital, Perumbakkam, Chennai, with an additional evening practice at Curie Hospital.

For Patients Considering Minimally Invasive Cancer Surgery in Chennai

Patients with a new cancer diagnosis, or those seeking a second opinion on minimally invasive treatment options, can book a direct consultation with Dr. Vimalathithan — no referral is required. Further information on treatment approaches is available at www.oncospecialist.com.

Book Your Consultation Today

📞 099628 66666

📍 Gleneagles Fortis Hospital, Perumbakkam, Sholinganallur, Chennai 600119

🌐 www.oncospecialist.com

🕒 Morning: Gleneagles Fortis Hospital | Evening: Practising in Curie Hospital

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