The Japanese Association for Thoracic Surgery has honoured Dr Palanivelu, Chairman of GEM Hospitals Coimbatore during its 78th Annual Scientific Meeting (JATS2025), held in Osaka last year.
According to a Press release, JATS select overseas doctors who have made a significant contribution to the progress of Japanese Thoracic Surgery and the development of JATS every year and award a foreign honorary membership of JATS and life time achievement in the annual meetings. This year Dr Palanivelu gastroenterologist and cancer surgeon has been nominated for the honour.
Dr Palanivelu has long been committed to minimally invasive surgery and have played an active role in its development and wide spread. Notably, He was the first in the world to devise a thoracoscopic esophagectomy in the prone position and his article published on Journal of American College of Surgeons JACS in 2006 entitled Minimally invasive esophagectomy, Thoracoscopic mobilization of the esophagus and mediastinal lymphadenectomy in prone position Experience of 130 patients had amazingly significant impact on the world.
Since then, thoracoscopic prone esophagectomy has gradually spread throughout Japan and now a days most minimally invasive esophagectomies using right thoracic approach are performed in the prone position. He had been the Course director for minimally invasive Esophagectomy by Japanese Society of Endoscopic Surgeons in Kyoto Japan (JSESKyoto2006).
Dr Palanivelu said he as a farmer realized the importance of MIS and treating cancer. Minimally invasive surgical oncology results low morbidity and significant reduction in mortality. Improved imaging 10-20 times magnification and enhanced tissue clarity improves radical resection with less blood loss and minimal pain than conventional open surgery. ICG and NRI enable detection of cancerous tissue and spread enable complete removal of cancer. Immune system, not disturbed in laparoscopy, there by improves long-term survival and reduces recurrence rate.
Hailing from humble agricultural family in TamilNadu, want of living migrated to Malaysia in early 1950s and parents were labourers in palm oil estate.
Medical council of UK gave him special privilege to operate in UK without training in UK or possess FRCS. He was the first in the world to perform Laparoscopic Whipple operation for pancreatic cancer and bagged best video award of Society of American Gastrointestinal Surgeons (SAGES2000) Atlanta. He is also Dr. BC Roy National award twice