Complex Lung Surgery Performed Without General Anesthesia at PMCH

Udaipur: Pacific Medical College & Hospital (PMCH) in Bhedla, Udaipur, has set a remarkable milestone in medical care. The hospital’s Cardiothoracic Department successfully performed a non-intubated video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (NIVATS) on a critically injured 59-year-old patient, giving him a new lease of life. This is considered the first successful surgery of its kind in southern Rajasthan, where the patient’s lungs were operated on without requiring a ventilator.

The surgery was performed by thoracoscopic surgeon Dr. Anuj Mehta, trained in Guangzhou, China. Dr. Mehta explained that traditional chest surgery involves general anesthesia, insertion of an endotracheal tube, and ventilator-assisted lung management. In contrast, NIVATS allows the patient to breathe naturally throughout the procedure under intravenous sedation and local anesthesia, eliminating risks associated with ventilators.

The patient, 59-year-old Parvat Singh from Losing, suffered multiple rib fractures, a shattered shoulder, and internal bleeding in the abdomen (hemoperitoneum) after colliding with a cow while riding his bike. His family rushed him to PMCH’s emergency department in critical condition. Under the supervision of Dr. Renu Rawanka and her team, he was immediately shifted to the ICU. After two weeks of intensive care and stabilization, the thoracoscopic team led by Dr. Mehta decided to operate to address the lung complications.

Dr. Mehta said the greatest challenge was patient positioning due to the broken shoulder, which made turning the patient difficult. Demonstrating technical expertise, Dr. Mehta and anesthesia specialist Dr. Sameer Goyal successfully performed the complex procedure with the patient lying straight. The surgical team, including Dr. Vidyut Patidar and nursing staff Kuldeep Singh, Sanjay Thakur, and Lalit Nagar, played a key role in the operation. Remarkably, the patient regained full consciousness just 30 minutes after surgery and began eating and drinking within three hours.

Commenting on the achievement, PMCH Chairman Rahul Agrawal expressed delight, stating that PMCH is emerging as a leading center of excellence for thoracic surgery. In just the past one and a half months, over 14 successful minimally invasive lung surgeries have been performed at the hospital, the highest in the region. “Our goal,” he said, “is to provide world-class treatment in Udaipur itself through advanced technology and a specialist team.”