New technologies in healthcare and surgical operations have led to the introduction of sutureless thyroidectomy operations in Guyana, after successful attempts on four patients last Wednesday.
Dr Cheetanand Mahadeo now equipped to conduct sutureless thyroidectomy procedures
This was announced on Saturday during the 17th Annual Caribbean College Of Surgeons Conference, which saw over 150 surgeons converging in Guyana to improve the standard of surgical procedures in their respective fields.
Plastic surgeon, Shilindra Rajkumar explained that surgeons in Guyana were allowed the opportunity to participate in a workshop, where the technique was successfully accomplished.
“What we try to do is workshops in each territory to teach the local surgeons something new. This year, we had the privilege of having the Caribbean College of Surgeons run a one-day thyroidectomy workshop. That workshop was the first of its kind where they actually removed thyroid glands from persons who had diseased thyroids with a sutureless technique,” said the plastic surgeon.
Thyroidectomy involves the surgical removal of the thyroid gland or part of it. It is the first time this technique has ever been attempted in Guyana and was executed without any complications.
“We have managed to do four patients in one day without any complications to the benefit of the entire department of surgery at the Georgetown Public Hospital.”
Surgeons in Guyana would have conducted the entire activity with guidance from the visiting faculty. Going forward, this new procedure will be conducted regularly, should the equipment and other supplies be sourced.
Plastic Surgeon Shilindra Rajkumar
“The first surgery was actually done with a visiting faculty, assisted by a local faculty and for the other three surgeries, the overseas faculty was just observing so the local faculty played a major role. So once the equipment is available, that’s the way surgeries are going to be done,” Rajkumar highlighted.
A participant in the workshop, Dr Cheetanand Mahadeo, acknowledged that while this procedure is not new to the world, it is a first for Guyana, owing to the high costs for the ligature device used. However, the financial setback is outweighed by the satisfactory results.
“The reason why we never did it is because we could never afford the device prior. So now we’re cutting down our operating time by almost a third…The patients stay less time asleep, they recover faster and go home earlier. The cost of the consumables and the machine will now be offset by shorter sleeping time and better outcomes. Overall, in terms of patient safety and getting better, it is going to benefit us regardless of the cost,” the general surgeon expressed.
At the end of the workshop, four surgical experts were considered capable of conducting the technique.
Apart from this field, persons were given the opportunity to give input on other surgical operations. Vice President of the organisation, Professor Shamir Cawich noted that there is a great deal of expertise in Guyana, which can significantly better the services that are provided.
Cawich explained, “Our intention, along with the local organisers, is to improve the healthcare package across the Caribbean but specifically in Guyana because we have had the help of some very capable surgeons from the local organising community”.
Similar sentiments emanated from General Surgeon Navindranauth Rambarran, who lauded these efforts to bridge the fellowship of surgeons in different nations.
“In doing so, ideas are shared, new techniques are discussed [and] goals for the future is set. Generally, there is significant cross-fertilisation of standards and new developments in particular territories may not have had the expertise or resources,” the Guyanese surgeon shared.
Other areas discussed included breast cancer, oncologic pancreatic surgery, renal transplants, congenital pseudoarthrosis, vertebral osteomyelitis, laparoscopic surgery, adult intussusception, oesophageal perforation, and Milroy disease among others.
The Caribbean College of Surgeons consists of over 250 persons from every country in the region. This year, 17 individuals were inducted into the organsations, five of whom are Guyanese.
