India has marked a significant achievement in global healthcare by successfully completing the world’s first two robotic cardiac telesurgeries over a distance of 286 kilometers. The announcement of this groundbreaking feat was made on Friday by the medical teams involved.
The procedures connected SS Innovations’ headquarters in Gurugram with a private hospital in Jaipur, Rajasthan, using three surgical robotic systems. The first operation, a Telerobotic-Assisted Internal Mammary Artery Harvesting, was remotely conducted in just 58 minutes by Dr. Sudhir Srivastava, Founder, Chairman, and CEO of SS Innovations International, Inc. This milestone surgery showcased remarkable precision with an impressively low latency of 35-40 milliseconds.
Supporting Dr. Srivastava was Dr. Lalit Malik, Chief of Cardiac Surgery at Manipal Hospital, Jaipur, and his expert team on-site. The collaboration also successfully performed a second complex procedure: a Robotic Beating Heart Totally Endoscopic Coronary Artery Bypass (TECAB), recognized as one of the most intricate cardiac surgeries.
Dr. Srivastava emphasized the transformative potential of telesurgery, stating, “By enabling telesurgery, we can bridge gaps in access to medical expertise and deliver the highest standard of care, regardless of geographical barriers. For a country like India, this innovation is groundbreaking, particularly for underserved rural areas.”
He also highlighted the recent approval from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) for telesurgery using the SSI Mantra system, noting its role in democratizing access to robotic surgeries and reducing healthcare disparities.
Dr. Lalit Malik lauded the achievement as a leap forward in patient care. “This inter-state robotic cardiac telesurgery exemplifies how technology bridges geographical gaps to provide accurate and timely medical interventions. It ensures access to advanced treatments for all,” he said.
Dr. Fredric Moll, Vice-Chairman of SS Innovations and known as the Father of Surgical Robotics, congratulated the team on their success. Reflecting on the journey of surgical robotics, he stated, “These achievements underline how far we’ve come since the inception of surgical robotics over 20 years ago. The goal of remote surgery, once limited by bandwidth, is now a reality.”
As reported by medicaldialogues, this historic advancement highlights India’s growing role in pioneering medical innovations and sets a new global benchmark for remote surgical interventions.