LUCKNOW, June 28 -- Surgeons at the Ram Manohar Lohia Institute of Medical Sciences (RMLIMS) in Lucknow have removed a cancerous kidney and a life-threatening tumour that had spread into a major vein, stopping just 3.5 cm short of a patient's heart, in what doctors described as one of the world's rarest robotic procedures. The complex surgery was performed on a 55-year-old patient by the institute's urology department under the leadership of Dr Ishwar Ram Dhayal. According to a press release issued on Saturday, the tumour had extended from the right kidney into the inferior vena cava (IVC), the body's largest vein carrying blood to the heart, and further into the gonadal vein, making the operation challenging. Despite the complexity, the entire procedure was completed robotically with only 350 ml of blood loss and without a blood transfusion. The patient was discharged within eight days. The achievement also marks another milestone for RMLIMS, which has now completed 490 robotic surgeries. Of these, 382 have been performed by the urology department. Institute director Prof CM Singh said the successful operation demonstrates that government-run hospitals can deliver world-class and advanced medical care. The surgical team included Dr Alok Srivastava, Dr Sanjeet Kumar Singh, Dr Anurag Pawar, Dr Prudhvi, Dr Sarvagya, anaesthetists Dr PK Das and Dr Prakriti, and nursing staff Jennifer, Ravi and Rishabh....