RAJKOT, GUJARAT | 16th JULY 2026 | HCG Hospital Rajkot has achieved a major milestone in advanced thoracic surgery with the successful performance of what the treating team reports is the first Uniportal Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery (Uniportal VATS) Decortication in the Saurashtra region.
The landmark procedure was performed by Dr Paras Lalwani, Consultant Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgeon, on an 18-year-old male suffering from chronic empyema with a trapped lung, a condition that severely restricted lung expansion and caused significant breathlessness.
Conventionally, such complex cases require a large thoracotomy incision. However, using the latest Uniportal VATS technique, Dr Lalwani successfully completed the surgery through a single small incision, meticulously removing the thick fibrous peel encasing the lung and allowing it to fully re-expand.
The patient tolerated the procedure well and is recovering satisfactorily.
Uniportal VATS is one of the most advanced minimally invasive approaches in thoracic surgery, offering several advantages over conventional open surgery, including less postoperative pain, reduced blood loss, lower risk of complications, shorter hospital stay, faster recovery, and superior cosmetic outcomes.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr Paras Lalwani said, “Our mission is to make world-class minimally invasive thoracic surgery accessible to patients in Saurashtra. This successful procedure represents an important milestone in our journey to bring the latest surgical innovations closer to home.”
The surgery was successfully carried out with the assistance of Dr Tulsi Chotai, Raybhan, Samson, Mita, Kajal, Aarti, and Rinki, while the anaesthesia team was led by Dr Kaushal Zalavadiya, whose expertise played a vital role in the successful outcome.
This achievement highlights HCG Hospital Rajkot’s commitment to providing cutting-edge surgical care and expanding access to advanced minimally invasive thoracic procedures. The availability of Uniportal VATS in Rajkot is expected to reduce the need for patients from Saurashtra to travel to metropolitan centres for complex thoracic surgery, bringing high-quality, state-of-the-art care closer to home.
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