Aga Khan Hospital performs region’s first robotic gallbladder surgery

Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi (AKUH,N) has performed what it says is the region’s first robotic-assisted gallbladder removal surgery, marking a new development in minimally invasive surgical care. The procedure, medically known as robotic-assisted laparoscopic cholecystectomy, uses robotic technology to assist surgeons in removing the gallbladder through small incisions. Unlike fully automated systems, the robot does not perform the operation independently. The surgeon controls the camera and surgical instruments from a specialised console in the operating theatre. Dr Abdulkarim Abdalla, Chair of the Hospital’s Department of Surgery, said the technology gives surgeons a three-dimensional view of the surgical field and greater flexibility in manipulating instruments.