Success in Robotic Hysterectomy for Patient with Rare, Life-Threatening Bleeding Disorder

Navi Mumbai: For years, every menstrual cycle for 37-year-old Ms. Neelam meant a medical emergency. Due to a rare and life-threatening bleeding disorder, she required blood transfusions almost every month just to manage the severe blood loss caused by her periods. Doctors at Apollo Hospitals Navi Mumbai have now successfully performed a robotic hysterectomy on the patient, a high-precision minimally invasive surgery, offering her a life free from the constant threat of uncontrolled bleeding and repeated blood transfusions. Apollo Hospitals Navi Mumbai emphasises that persistent or unusually heavy periods should never be ignored, as early diagnosis and specialist care can help prevent life-threatening complications.

The patient was diagnosed with Glanzmann’s Thrombasthenia, an extremely rare congenital platelet disorder in which the platelet count may appear normal, but the platelets fail to function properly.  As a result, the blood cannot clot effectively, putting patients at extreme risk of severe and prolonged bleeding, even from minor injuries or routine procedures.

For Neelam, this condition had turned her life into a cycle of hospital visits and transfusions during her regular menses. In one of her recent cycles, she had to be admitted to Apollo Hospitals.  Her haemoglobin had dropped to a dangerously low 4 g/dL, requiring urgent stabilisation and multiple blood transfusions. This was the time she decided to get rid of the problem permanently by opting for hysterectomy.

Performing surgery in patients with Glanzmann’s Thrombasthenia carries an exceptionally high risk of uncontrolled bleeding. To minimise the surgical risk, the medical team opted for a robotic hysterectomy, a minimally invasive technique known for its enhanced precision and significantly reduced blood loss.

Robotic hysterectomy was successfully performed with near-zero intraoperative blood loss and no blood transfusion was required during the surgery, a remarkable achievement in such a high-risk case. This marks a major milestone in the management of high-risk surgical cases in India.

The complex procedure was carried out by a multidisciplinary team led by Dr. Tripti Dubey, Senior Consultant – Obstetrics, Gynaecology & Robotic Surgery in collaboration with Dr. Punit Jain, Consultant – Haematology and Hemato-Oncology & Program Coordinator, Bone Marrow Transplant and CAR T-cell Therapy. The surgery was successful with no blood transfusion required during the procedure. This was a truly remarkable outcome given the severity of the patient’s condition. Postoperatively, precautionary transfusions were administered to support recovery, and the patient stabilised well with an uneventful recovery.

Dr. Tripti Dubey, Senior Consultant – Obstetrics, Gynaecology & Robotic Surgery, Apollo Hospitals Navi Mumbai  said,“Surgery in patients with Glanzmann’s Thrombasthenia is extremely challenging because even the smallest surgical step can trigger uncontrolled bleeding. Every aspect from the surgical technique to the timing of blood product administration, had to be meticulously planned. Robotic surgery allowed us to operate with exceptional precision and minimise blood loss. She was kept under observation for six days and, remarkably, was able to resume her routine office work while still in the hospital. This case demonstrates how robotic surgery can transform outcomes even in the most complex situations and enable patients to return to their normal lives much sooner than expected.”