Chennai, May 20: Kauvery Hospital, Radial Road, has successfully performed a highly complex robotic pancreatic reconstruction surgery on a 12-year-old girl suffering from recurrent chronic pancreatitis caused by a rare congenital pancreatic abnormality. The procedure marks the first robotic Frey’s procedure performed in a paediatric patient in Tamil Nadu and represents a significant advancement in minimally invasive pancreatic surgery in children.
The child had been experiencing repeated episodes of severe abdominal pain and pancreatitis for several years due to pancreatic divisum, a congenital condition in which the pancreatic ducts fail to fuse normally during fetal development. This abnormal anatomy leads to impaired drainage of pancreatic secretions, causing repeated inflammation, progressive pancreatic damage, debilitating pain, nutritional compromise, and recurrent hospitalisations.
Despite undergoing multiple endoscopic interventions and repeated pancreatic duct stenting procedures over the years, the child continued to suffer recurrent attacks of pancreatitis. As the disease progressed into chronic pancreatitis with persistent symptoms, the multidisciplinary team at Kauvery Hospital recommended definitive surgical management.
The surgery performed was a robotic Frey’s procedure, one of the most technically demanding operations in pancreatic surgery. The procedure involves removing diseased and inflamed pancreatic tissue while simultaneously reconstructing a drainage pathway between the pancreas and the intestine to restore the normal flow of pancreatic secretions.
Performing this surgery robotically in a child is exceptionally challenging because of the delicate anatomy of the pancreas, extremely small operating spaces, the need for meticulous reconstruction around critical blood vessels and ducts, and the precision required to preserve healthy pancreatic tissue.
The procedure was performed using the advanced Da Vinci Robotic Surgical System, which provides surgeons with enhanced 3D visualization, tremor filtration, superior precision, and improved dexterity during complex reconstructive surgery.
The procedure was led by Dr Senthil Gnanasekaran, Clinical Lead – Abdominal Organ Transplant & HPB Surgery, experienced in Robotic procedures, along with Dr Piyush Bawane, Clinical Lead – Medical Gastroenterology.
The surgery was completed successfully with remarkably minimal blood loss, an important achievement in a major pancreatic procedure. The child had an excellent postoperative recovery with significantly reduced pain compared to conventional open surgery and was discharged home on the sixth postoperative day.
Commenting on the procedure, Dr Senthil Gnanasekaran said: “Chronic pancreatitis in children is uncommon and can significantly affect quality of life because of repeated pain episodes, hospital admissions, nutritional compromise, and long-term pancreatic damage. Frey’s procedure is among the most complex pancreatic reconstructive surgeries and performing it robotically in a child requires extraordinary precision and expertise. The robotic platform enabled us to perform meticulous dissection and reconstruction through a minimally invasive approach, resulting in less pain, smaller scars, minimal blood loss, and faster recovery for the child.”
Dr Aravindan Selvaraj, Co-Founder & Executive Director, Kauvery Group of Hospitals, said: “Robotic pancreatic reconstruction surgery in children is exceedingly rare worldwide because pancreatic surgery itself is among the most technically demanding specialties in gastrointestinal surgery. This successful procedure reflects the growing advancement of robotic hepatopancreatobiliary surgery and paediatric minimally invasive surgery at Kauvery Hospital. More importantly, it demonstrates how advanced robotic technology, combined with multidisciplinary expertise, can help children recover faster while minimizing surgical trauma and improving long-term outcomes.”
Kauvery Hospital continues to strengthen its position as one of the leading centres for advanced robotic gastrointestinal, HPB, transplant, and minimally invasive surgery in South India, offering highly specialised care supported by cutting-edge technology and multidisciplinary clinical expertise.