Fortis Healthcare, India’s fastest growing hospital network, and International Centre for Robotic Surgery (ICRS) is soon going to launch a robotic surgery centre, Fortis International Centre for Robotic Surgery (Fortis ICRS) in India. Fortis ICRS centres will be set up across the Fortis network, starting with Fortis Escorts Heart Institute in New Delhi, followed by Mumbai, Gurgaon, Bangalore, Chennai, Kolkata and other tier II cities like Mohali and Jaipur. Fortis ICRS will be ready to start robotic surgeries at Fortis Escorts Heart Institute, beginning March 10, 2011.
Fortis ICRS will bring the latest robotic surgery procedures to patients in India at a much lower cost. It will offer the full spectrum of robotic heart, lung, urology, gynaecology, general, head and neck surgeries. These surgeries will be performed by highly experienced robotic surgeons from the United States and other countries with their support teams, in conjunction with surgical teams at Fortis hospitals.
Announcing the launch of Fortis ICRS, Shivinder M Singh, managing director, Fortis Healthcare said, “The launch of Fortis International Centre for Robotic Surgery is another step forward in Fortis’ untiring commitment to providing cutting-edge medical technology and the finest in patient safety. This centre further elevates the profile of our medical programmes and we are proud to offer these world-class services in India, at a fraction of the cost prevalent overseas.”
Talking about this launch, Dr Sudhir Srivastava, founding chairman and managing director, ICRS, said, “It is integral for us to partner with a healthcare institution that shares our values of maintaining international standards in healthcare delivery. With this alliance, more and more patients in India will benefit from robotic surgery.”
Dr Srivastava who is honoured with the Bharat Gaurav Award, has performed more than 1200 robotic cardiothoracic surgical procedures. He added, “World over, robotic operation has added value to solving key challenges in the healthcare sector, such as management of chronic diseases, nursing shortages and high treatment costs. With robotic surgery, highly complex surgical procedures that normally require large open incisions can be performed with tiny holes utilizing robotic assistance. The key advantages in such surgery are enhanced precision and reduced trauma. Patients also have less pain, and fewer complications, which translates into faster recovery and shorter hospital stays.”
Describing his vision, Dr Nikhil Shah, renowned robotic urologist at ICRS said, “In the world of Surgery, robotics is spreading like wildfire, I applaud ICRS and Fortis for creating a unique partnership that brings robotic experts to India, allowing for collaboration with India’s most talented and acclaimed surgeons.”
Fortis ICRS will be staffed by a highly experienced team comprised of the world’s finest robotic surgeons, with a collective experience of more than 15,000 surgeries. The launch of the centre opens up new vistas in patient care in the country and offers immense training opportunities for aspiring surgeons. The centre will have an integrated approach to clinical services, training and research. It will offer research and fellowship programmes; and plans are under way to create a university level programme in the field of robotic surgery.
Fortis has developed strong competencies in the fields of Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS), laparoscopic and robotic surgery, with several hospitals offering specialised medical services in these advanced clinical areas. Fortis Escorts Heart Institute, New Delhi was one of the first hospitals in India to acquire the da Vinci Surgical System and offer the robotic option to its cardiac patients.
The ICRS is the operating entity for Sudhir Srivastava Robotic Surgery Centre Pvt Ltd (SSARSC), which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sudhir Srivastava Medical Innovations (SSMI). ICRS is dedicated to bring the advanced robotic surgery techniques to India. Through ICRS, 20 highly-skilled and some of the most experienced robotic surgeons in the world have joined hands to benefit patients in India.