India is evolving in the field of medical technology, and the recent feat in the field of healthcare corroborates that. SSI Mantra, India’s first CDSCO-approved surgical robotic system for telesurgery, has made history in the world of global healthcare and medicine by conducting telerobotic-assisted Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG) procedure by connecting SS Innovations’ headquarters in Gurugram with Manipal Hospital in Jaipur, Rajasthan, spanning a distance of 286 kilometres. A significant step towards India’s healthcare landscape, the surgery was completed successfully in just one hour and 10 minutes.

SS Innovations, the visionary force behind the Made-in-India SSI Mantra Surgical Robotic System, has made cutting-edge procedures more accessible and reinforced India’s position as a global visionary in healthcare evolution. Led by Dr Sudhir Srivastava, Founder, Chairman, and CEO of SS Innovations International, Inc 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, the surgery demonstrated exceptional precision, with a total latency of less than 35-40 milliseconds (1/20th of a second).

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Talking to The Statesman, Dr Sudhir Srivastava emphasised on his vision towards decentralising and democratising access to surgical expertise, addressing critical gaps in healthcare, particularly in remote areas, “In rural areas, where 60 per cent of communities lack access to specialised care, telesurgery presents a critical solution. By enabling remote surgery, telesurgery eliminates the need for patients in rural areas to travel long distances for specialised treatment, reducing both financial and emotional strain. The SSI Mantra system, for example, can be installed in mobile surgical units or smaller healthcare centers, providing flexibility in deployment. It transmits high-definition, real-time 3D video from the patient site to the surgeon’s console, enabling precise operation even for delicate, minimally invasive procedures.”

Elaborating on the complex technical challenges that required meticulous planning, Dr Srivastava remarked on how crucial it was to have a capable team of professionals for performing manual surgery for patient safety in case of system failure or unforeseen circumstances. “Another significant challenge was ensuring reliable data transmission. Additionally, latency, the delay between action and feedback, had to be kept within strict limits. Since the human brain can tolerate a maximum delay of 200 milliseconds, the system was designed to ensure real-time responsiveness,” commented Dr Srivastava.

In terms of patient care and recovery after the surgery, Dr Lalit Malik, Chief of Cardiac Surgery at Manipal Hospital, Jaipur, explained, “The pre- and post-operative care for telesurgery is similar to that of traditional robotic cardiac cases. However, there is a key difference in how we prepare the patient. Before the procedure, the patient was thoroughly informed about the telesurgery process, including how the surgery would be conducted remotely. The patient was ready for discharge within 2-3 days, compared to traditional surgery, where recovery typically takes 7-8 days. The patient was able to mobilise earlier and experienced less pain.”

Talking about overcoming limitations to robotic surgery, especially in emergency or critical cases where immediate intervention is required, Dr Malik believes that with time, telerobotic surgery can significantly improve access to life-saving procedures, provide timely, high-quality medical care across long distances, overcoming geographical barriers, and reduce disparities in care with the availability of robust infrastructure, including reliable power sources, advanced robotic systems, and high-speed internet connectivity.