tnnLucknow: Patients requiring laparoscopic bile stone surgery at Lokbandhu Hospital are facing delays after the hospital’s laparoscopy machine became defunct around a week ago.As a result, several patients are either being asked to wait for repairs or undergo conventional open surgery instead of the minimally invasive procedure. Officials said nearly 20 patients undergo laparoscopic bile stone surgery at the hospital every month. However, with the machine out of order, scheduled procedures have been affected, causing inconvenience to patients, especially those coming from rural areas.One of the attendants Ramesh Yadav, who brought his wife for surgery, said doctors informed them that the laparoscopic procedure could not be performed due to the faulty machine. “We were asked either to wait or opt for open surgery. We have already been visiting the hospital for several days,” he said. Doctors said laparoscopic surgery is generally preferred as it involves smaller cuts, less pain and faster recovery compared to open surgery.Director of the hospital Dr Rajeev Dixit acknowledged the issue and said efforts are being made to restore the machine at the earliest. “The machine has developed a technical fault. We are getting it repaired and it will be functional soon,” he said.
