India Sets Record with World’s First Robotic Cardiac Telesurgeries

India has achieved a significant milestone in global healthcare with the successful completion of the world’s first two robotic cardiac telesurgeries within just two days. The pioneering procedures were conducted using India’s first indigenous surgical robotic technology, developed by SS Innovations.

The surgeries involved three surgical robotic systems and connected SS Innovations' headquarters in Gurugram with a private hospital in Jaipur, Rajasthan, located 286 kilometres apart. The first procedure, a Telerobotic-assisted Internal Mammary Artery Harvesting, was completed remotely in just 58 minutes, led by Dr. Sudhir Srivastava, Founder, Chairman, and CEO of SS Innovations International, Inc. The procedure was performed from the Gurugram headquarters, with support from Dr. Lalit Malik, Chief of Cardiac Surgery at Manipal Hospital, Jaipur, and his expert team in Jaipur.

The surgery demonstrated remarkable precision with an exceptionally low latency of just 35-40 milliseconds (1/20th of a second). This was followed by another world-first procedure, a Robotic Beating Heart Totally Endoscopic Coronary Artery Bypass (TECAB), considered one of the most complex cardiac surgical procedures. This second telesurgery was also conducted with an incredibly low latency of just 40 milliseconds.

Both surgeries showcased seamless teamwork across long distances and set a new benchmark for remote surgical interventions.

Dr. Sudhir Srivastava, expressing his excitement about the achievement, said, “We are extremely thrilled to have advanced the capabilities of surgery to benefit humanity, especially in areas that need it the most. By enabling telesurgery, we can bridge gaps in access to medical expertise and deliver the highest standard of care, regardless of geographical barriers.”

He further explained the transformative impact of telesurgery, particularly for rural areas in India with significant healthcare disparities. "Telesurgery brings world-class surgical expertise directly to underserved communities, eliminating the need for patients to travel long distances to urban centers for specialized care. It ensures timely interventions while reducing logistical and financial burdens on families,” he added. With the recent approval from CDSCO for telesurgery using SSI Mantra, he emphasized that the technology not only advances healthcare but also democratizes access to robotic surgery.

Dr. Lalit Malik from Manipal Hospital, Jaipur, expressed his enthusiasm for the innovation, stating, “This groundbreaking inter-state robotic cardiac telesurgery marks a significant leap in enhancing patient care through innovation. The remote robotic-assisted CABG on an elderly patient exemplifies how technology bridges geographical gaps to provide accurate and timely medical interventions.”

Dr. Fredric Moll, known as the Father of Surgical Robotics and Founder of Intuitive Surgical, congratulated the team on the achievement. "It is delightful to see how far we have come since the inception of surgical robotics more than 20 years ago," he said. He recalled the early goals of robotic surgery, noting, "The original robotic system was designed to achieve two things: remote surgery and the ability to perform coronary bypass surgery in a complete closed chest approach. My approach was that if you could perform beating heart bypass surgery with the robot, then all other procedures would be possible."

This breakthrough in telesurgery technology represents a major leap forward in the field of surgery and healthcare, with the potential to revolutionize the delivery of medical services, especially in underserved regions.

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