World's first cardiac telesurgery performed using made-in-India robotic system

The surgery was conducted by 3 surgical robotic systems and involved connecting SS Innovations' headquarters in Gurugram with Private Hospital in Jaipur Rajasthan, spanning a distance of 286 kilometres.

The Telerobotic-assisted Internal Mammary Artery Harvesting procedure conducted remotely was successfully completed in just 58 minutes and led by Dr Sudhir Srivastava, Founder, Chairman, and CEO of SS Innovations International, Inc.

Done from the SSI Headquarters in Gurugram, and supported by Dr Lalit Malik, Chief of Cardiac Surgery at Manipal Hospital, Jaipur, along with his expert team at the remote location in Jaipur, the surgery demonstrated exceptional precision with an incredibly low latency of just 35-40 milliseconds (1/20th of a second). This groundbreaking procedure was followed by another world-first, a Robotic Beating Heart Totally Endoscopic Coronary Artery Bypass (TECAB), a procedure known as one of the most complex Cardiac Surgical procedures; performed via telesurgery under the same collaboration, with an incredibly low latency of just 40 milliseconds.

Both surgeries, connected Gurugram to Jaipur, and showcased seamless teamwork across long distances, setting a new standard for remote surgical interventions.

According to SS Innovations Founder, Chairman, and CEO, Dr. Sudhir Srivastava, "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."

Talking about the achievement further, he highlighted the benefits of telesurgery for patients being able to receive care easier than before.

"For a country like India, with its vast rural population and significant healthcare disparities, this innovation is transformative. Telesurgery brings world-class surgical expertise directly to underserved communities, eliminating the need for patients to travel long distances to urban centres for specialized care. It ensures timely interventions while reducing logistical and financial burdens on families. With the recent CDSCO approval for telesurgery using SSI Mantra, we have not just advanced technology; we have fulfilled our mission to democratize access to robotic surgery," he added.

Dr Lalit Malik, Chief of Cardiac Surgery at Manipal Hospital, Jaipur, said, "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 from Jaipur exemplifies how technology is bridging geographical gaps to provide accurate and timely medical interventions. This achievement underscores our dedication to offering world-class healthcare and ensuring patients have access to the most advanced treatment options available."

Dr Fredric Moll who is known as the Father of Surgical Robotics, and Founder of Intuitive Surgical and SS Innovations International, Inc. Vice-Chairman congratulated the team on the achievement, "I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to Dr Srivastava and the entire SSI team on the successful achievement of performing the world's first robotic cardiac telesurgeries. It is delightful to see just how far we have come since the inception of surgical robotics more than 20 years ago."

Remembering how advanced telesurgery and robots in surgery have come, he added, "As many may recall, 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 this, if you could perform beating heart bypass surgery with the robot, then all other procedures would be possible. Due to the bandwidth limitations at the time, the telesurgery goal was put on hold while we further broadened the applications of the robotic system across all specialities." (ANI)