Bhopal News: 'Presence Of Cameras, Audience Distract Surgeon,' Says Gandhi Medical College's Doctors

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Live surgery conducted at Gandhi Medical College (GMC) for knee replacement has sparked controversy in medical fraternity regarding its fruitfulness and practical aspects. It is first time that GMC performed surgery that went live for academic purpose.

According to doctors, live surgery may be good for academic purpose but not good for practical purpose as it distracts surgeon in operation theatre (OT).  Presence of patient’s family and attendants who often become emotional during surgery may make situation complicated.

Dr JP Paliwal, surgeon and former Gandhi Medical College (GMC) professor, said, “Presence of cameras and audience distract the surgeon, increasing stress and potentially leading to errors or compromised patient outcomes. There are concerns about whether patients are fully informed about all the risks, including the potential for divided attention, and about the ethical implications of using a patient for demonstration purposes.  Live surgeries can overshadow educational purpose and put patient’s safety at risk.”

Dr Virendra Sharma, medical superintendent of Jabalpur Medical College, said, “We have not done it in our medical college. The live surgery has drawbacks like potential distractions for the surgeon and ethical issues regarding patient’s consent and safety. Regulations are being put in place to ensure that live surgeries are strictly for education and not for commercial promotion.”