An India-led medical team has achieved a major milestone in healthcare technology by successfully performing a robot-assisted cardiac surgery over an unprecedented distance of nearly 18,000 kilometres. The operation connected Georgetown in Guyana with Indore in India, showcasing the growing potential of telesurgery in modern medicine.
How the Remote Surgery Was Conducted
The procedure was carried out using advanced robotic systems that allowed a surgeon located in Guyana to operate on a patient in Indore in real time. The surgeon’s movements were transmitted through a high-speed fibre-optic network, which enabled precise control of the robotic surgical instruments at the Indore hospital.
The surgery was performed at the Sri Aurobindo Institute of Medical Sciences (SAIMS), where the SSI Mantra surgical robot replicated the surgeon’s actions with high accuracy.
Key Medical Team and Setup
Cardiac surgeon Dr Sudhir Srivastava operated from a tele-surgeon console in Georgetown. Meanwhile, the on-ground medical support in Indore included Dr Mohit Bhandari and Dr Ram Shukla, who assisted throughout the procedure and ensured smooth execution.
The patient, a 45-year-old woman, underwent a left internal mammary artery (LIMA) takedown as part of a coronary artery bypass procedure.
Precision, Technology, and Timing
The operation lasted nearly four hours and 50 minutes. It relied on a highly stable fibre-optic network that maintained a latency of around 290 to 300 milliseconds. This low delay was crucial for ensuring precision during complex cardiac movements.
A Historic Milestone in Telesurgery
The success of this intercontinental surgery also marked a major advancement in global robotic healthcare. As per the Times of India, this procedure coincided with the launch of Guyana’s National Robotic Surgery Programme and broke the earlier record of a 10,000-kilometre telesurgery connection between Strasbourg and Indore.
Global Impact and Future Potential
According to the medical team, the robotic platform used in the operation has already supported over 170 telesurgeries worldwide, including multiple complex cardiac cases. This achievement demonstrates how advanced robotic systems can bridge geographical barriers and make specialised surgical care accessible across countries.
Conclusion
This landmark surgery highlights the future of medicine, where distance is no longer a barrier to expert healthcare. With continued advancements in robotic systems and network stability, telesurgery could soon become a standard tool in global medical practice.