From rxpgnews.com

Doctors
Agra doctor's achievement - 85 operations in 24 hours
Feb 26, 2006 - 4:51:37 PM

A surgeon's deft fingers have helped him achieve a unique feat - 85 operations in a day, that too without a break.

Ajay Prakash started the marathon feat Thursday afternoon at a hospital here, using a minimally invasive surgical technique described by him as "uncomplicated, efficient and time-saving".

Assisted by his gynaecologist wife Divya, Prakash, an abdominal surgeon, performed free of cost 76 gall bladder and nine appendix operations in a 24-hour span, finishing Friday afternoon.

"I wanted to demonstrate the effectiveness and affordability of the single-hole technique which I have perfected over the years," Prakash told IANS.

Unlike routine surgery that involves cutting open the area to be operated, the single-hole technique entails only a small incision for the operation.

Asked why he was keen on a record, Prakash said: "This helps me to remain focused and upgrade my skills constantly. My only reward is the satisfaction and relief I see on my patients' faces. And god willing, next year I should be able to score a century."

Unlike the high-cost equipment used for conventional surgery, the single-hole technique requires only simple equipment that costs just Rs.10,000. "My operations are less traumatic for the patients and dependence on equipment is minimal," he said.

In 2004, Prakash had performed 60 operations in a single shift and the next year he managed to carry out 75 surgeries.

The husband-wife team, assisted by their son and daughter-in-law, has already carried out more than 16,000 operations in Agra, Jaipur and Delhi.

Two years ago, the husband-wife team was invited by President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam to Rashtrapati Bhavan to give a presentation about the surgical technique.

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