Narayana Health has established a dedicated Institute of Robotic Surgery along with Infosys Foundation to make up for the paucity of expertise in this specialty. It invested around Rs.15 crore, of which Infosys Foundation chipped in Rs.8 crore, to install da Vinci Robotic Surgery System, a US FDA approved technology manufactured by Intuitive Surgical, Inc.

Bengaluru-based Vattikutti Technologies is the authorized distributors of da Vinci Robotic Surgery System in India which provides sales, service and support to the hospital and surgeons.

To begin with, the Infosys Institute of Robotic Surgery will train our team of surgeons who perform open and laparoscopic surgeries. 'Within the next 2-3 months, we will offer the training to surgeons across the country, Dr. Devi Shetty, founder and chairman, Narayana Health said at a press conclave'.

Today surgical robots are available in very few centers globally and the training program is expensive and inaccessible, he added. At Narayana Health City, the da Vinci Robotic Surgery System is installed in a dedicated operating room armed by trained surgeons and teams in this specialty to perform complex interventions in urology, gynecology, gastrointestinal surgeries, general surgery and various cancers.

“We will be performing the first robotic surgical intervention for a kidney related condition on an economically backward patient, said Dr. Saurabh Bhargava, Head of Urology Department, Consultant Urologist and Uro-Onco Surgeon, Narayana Health City adding that the Robotic System is most convenient for organ transplant of a recipient patient.

“Robotic surgery has proved that inaccessible areas of the human body like deep in the pelvis where a prostate surgery is performed for a cancer patient can easily be accessed. However, for the large scale technical adoption of robotic surgery a major hitch is the surgeon’s skill”, informed Dr. Shetty.

Unveiling the plaque, of ‘Infosys Institute of Robotic Surgery’, Sudha Murthy, Chairperson, Infosys Foundation said, that the partnership with Narayana Health is aimed at encouraging rapid adoption of robotics in healthcare in India. Through this endowment, we also intend to provide impetus for further research, and enable the masses to reap the benefits of affordable and high-quality treatment.

The training program is mentor-based rather than building patient base to have a learning experience. We have acquired skills, to train through an extensive clinical education and preparation period. During the training the surgeon will attends simulator workshop, practice on mannequins, after which with a mentor in place, he would begin with simple techniques and gradually moves on to more complex surgeries.

Using the da Vinci robotic surgery system, operations need only a few small incisions. Its magnified 3D high-definition vision system and tiny wristed instruments bend and rotate far greater than the human wrist. It enables surgeons to operate with enhanced vision and precision. Benefits to the patient include less stress on the body, reduced chances of infection and faster recovery, said Dr. Ashwinikumar D. Kudari, Senior Consultant, Surgical Gastroenterologist, Narayana Health City.