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Pioneering the Minimally Invasive Era in Oncosurgery
Dr. Karthik Chandra Vallam is the Chief Consultant Surgical Oncologist and Robotic Surgeon at Medicover Cancer Institute, Visakhapatnam.
Trained at the prestigious Tata Memorial Hospital (TMH), Mumbai, Dr. Vallam specializes in the surgical treatment of various solid organ cancers. His educational background includes an MBBS from JIPMER and an MS from Madras Medical College contributing to his stellar reputation as a seasoned practitioner in the field.
Hardly anyone gets a traditional open surgery for appendicectomy or gall bladder removal… Everyone these days opts for a Laparoscopic Appendicectomy or Cholecystectomy. However, cancer surgeries require a lot more expertise and are time taking becuase they are major surgeries. Performing them through the minimally invasive (key-hole) route is quite a challenge. Dr. Karthik took this up as a challenge and pioneered Minimally Invasive Surgery(MIS) for cancer resections. He initially excelled in doing these surgeries laparoscopically and later with robotic assistance. MIS (either with the ROBOT or LAPAROSCOPY) offers myriad advantages to the patients – excellent early recovery, minimal pain, quick mobilisation and early return to work. He says “ Why should cancer patients be deprived of the benefit of key-hole surgeries?’. There is a myth that such advanced techniques and expertise lies only in major metro cities. We are able to do this on a regular basis for our cancer patients”
Dr. Karthik is credited to be the first Robotic surgeon from Andhra Pradesh having initiated the robotic surgery program in 2017.
Dr. Karthik offers a comprehensive suite of cancer care services adept guidance. His proficiency spans open, laparoscopic, and robotic cancer surgeries, positioning the hospital as a hub for cutting-edge oncological treatments in North Coastal Andhra Pradesh.
Dr. Karthik’s achievements and accolades further underscore his commitment to advancing surgical oncology. Notably, he has received travel scholarships from the European Society of Surgical Oncology and the British Society of Gastroenterology, acknowledging his excellence in paper presentations. Awards from conferences hosted by the Indian Association of Surgical Oncology (IASO) and the Asian Clinical Oncology Society (ACOS) further highlight his contributions to the field.
Invited as a faculty member at international, national, and state conferences, Dr Vallam has not only shared his knowledge through lectures but has also conducted live surgical video demonstrations. His organizational prowess is evident in his role as the organizing secretary for various cancer conferences. He is a keen eye for teaching and has facilitated academic programs for DNB surgical oncology residents.
His special interests include – Scarless thyroid surgery (patients get their thyroid tumours removed without a cut in the neck), VATS/Thoracoscopic surgery (for tumours in the chest and lungs) , major gastrointestinal, breast and uterus cancer surgeries.
Cancer does not differentiate between the poor and rich. All classes get affected. He caters to all classes of the society whether they are poor, middle class or rich and will offer the same level of compassionate care to all strata irrespective of their affordability.
It is a myth that cancer surgery is maximally invasive and patients take a long time to recover. Minimally invasive cancer surgery (either through Robotic surgery or laparoscopic surgery) makes recovery times shorter and patients resume routine activities quickly.
He has a special interest in helping the economically underprivileged with nearly half of his patients hailing from this category.
He reaffirms his dedication to providing state-of-the-art healthcare services to the residents of Visakhapatnam and the surrounding areas with a special emphasis on minimally invasive surgey for patients enabling them to heal quickly.
