A rare medical condition, Celiac Artery Compression Syndrome which is characterised by acute abdominal pain has been successfully treated by robotic surgery at a hospital in Ahmedabad.

Surgery is currently the only treatment option and involves releasing the ligament that causes the compression.

However, reaching the celiac artery through conventional surgery is not easy because it is located deep under the crus of the diaphragm.

Apurva Vyas, Gastro intestinal surgeon, Sterling Hospital said, "Using a four-armed surgical robot, I was able to reach the root of the celiac artery where human fingers could not.

He used the da Vinci surgical robot for the procedure.

"The three-dimensional high definition view magnified the artery multi-fold to help me achieve precision that prevented collateral damage to healthy tissue, arteries and nerves. I was happy to see the patient recover quickly. He was back home on the third day post surgery.” he added

Celiac artery compression can be loosely compared to a heart attack-like situation of the digestive system. The patient suffers severe pain as soon as he starts eating and is hardly able to eat enough for the body's needs.