Using three advanced surgical robotic systems, the groundbreaking procedures connected SS Innovations’ headquarters in Gurugram with a private hospital in Jaipur, a distance of 286 kilometers. Dr. Sudhir Srivastava, Founder, Chairman, and CEO of SS Innovations International, Inc., led the first Telerobotic-assisted Internal Mammary Artery Harvesting surgery, completed in just 58 minutes. The procedure was executed from Gurugram and supported remotely by Dr. Lalit Malik, Chief of Cardiac Surgery at Manipal Hospital, Jaipur, along with his team. The system achieved exceptional precision with an ultra-low latency of just 35-40 milliseconds.
Following this, a second milestone was achieved with a Robotic Beating Heart Totally Endoscopic Coronary Artery Bypass (TECAB), known for its complexity. This telesurgery was also performed with a latency of just 40 milliseconds, showcasing the ability to conduct intricate surgeries across vast distances with seamless coordination.
Dr. Srivastava expressed his enthusiasm for the achievement, emphasizing how this innovation bridges geographical barriers to deliver top-tier surgical care. “Telesurgery has the power to provide rural communities access to world-class healthcare without the logistical and financial challenges of traveling to urban centers,” he said. With the recent approval for telesurgery using SSI Mantra, this innovation represents a transformative leap in healthcare access for underserved populations.
Dr. Lalit Malik highlighted the achievement’s significance in patient care, noting the life-changing impact of conducting remote robotic CABG surgeries on elderly patients. Similarly, Dr. Fredric Moll, Vice-Chairman of SS Innovations and a pioneer in surgical robotics, praised the team’s success. He recalled how surgical robotics began with the vision of enabling remote operations and how this milestone represents a long-awaited realization of that dream.
This achievement not only sets a precedent for robotic surgery but also redefines the future of remote healthcare interventions, particularly in addressing healthcare disparities in rural regions.
