Many a surgeon has said, “Coimbatore is the Mecca of laparoscopic surgery and Dr C Palanivelu the best laparoscopic surgeon, teacher, philosopher and guide in India.” But for Dr Palanivelu, the first Indian to win a silver medal in the International Olympic Minimal Access Surgery competition in 2009 in Phoenix, US, what matters the most is his dedication in providing laparoscopic surgery at affordable cost through innovative techniques.
The motivation stemmed from his rural upbringing. Hailing from a family of agricultural workers, Palanivelu felt that laparoscopic surgery would be beneficial to poor labourers and farmers as they would recover quickly from surgery without pain and go back to earn their livelihood. In fact, he has innovated over 20 new operation techniques for the first time in the world. He developed a new technique in 2010 for removal of cancer of oesophagus. This new laparoscopic technique has done away with pain and complications associated with the surgery.
The Laparoscopic Whipple operations for cancer of the pancreas is considered the most complex. Palanivelu not only mastered it, but performed the most number of it in the world. He drew the attention of the world when he first demonstrated this complex surgery at Atlanta, US.
Colon and rectal cancer are rapidly increasing in India and Palanivelu won many laurels for his techniques. He modified techniques to avoid devastating complications in difficult gall bladder surgery.
Cumulatively these laparoscopic techniques have aided in saving many lives and complications. “It has immensely benefited elderly people suffering from tumours and other ailments in the abdomen cavity,” says Palanivelu.
In fact, some of these techniques are considered the best in the world and have been included in the teaching resources of American College of Surgeons, as well as the Korean, Chinese and Japanese universities. Great success has been achieved with laparoscopic esophagectomy for oesophageal carcinoma and Laparoscopic Whipple’s operation for cancer of the pancreas.
When asked about the success rate of his surgeries, “My success rate is 98 per cent”, says Palanivelu with satisfaction. Not only surgical techniques, he even designed an instrument to safely cure Hydatid cyst without complications and named it Laparoscopic Hydatid Trocar System. Hydatid diseases occur among the rural poor and this had motivated him to design the instrument.
With congenital conditions requiring major surgeries in children, Palanivelu developed techniques that have avoided large incisions in the young ones. He was presented with SAGES award from the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons for three consecutive years in recognition of his meritorious innovations (2003, 2004 and 2005).
Recipient of several international and national awards, that includes the Dr BC Roy Award for Specialty Development, New Delhi, 2008, Bheeshmacharya Award by Association of Minimal Access Surgeons of India, he has also authored many books on laparoscopic surgery. Not forgetting his humble roots, he has been treating poor patients free of cost, with 20 beds being reserved for them at his hospital.
“I am against medical tourism. As there is a shortage of doctors in the country, the service should first go to its people,” signs off Dr Palanivelu as he gets ready to operate on yet another in a long list of patients.
