In a world-first milestone, Dr. V. Chandramohan, MD of Preeti Kidney Hospital, performed telesurgery on a 16-month-old baby from 1,600 kilometers away using India’s SSI Mantra robotic system. This breakthrough demonstrates how robotics combined with 5G connectivity can deliver expert medical care to patients in remote locations.
Robotic Telesurgery for a Young Patient
The infant was born with a congenital ureteropelvic obstruction, where the renal pelvis—the part of the kidney connecting to the ureter—was blocked, preventing urine from flowing to the bladder.
“Given the child’s age, we opted for robotic surgery. While the baby was at our Kondapur facility, I controlled the SSI Mantra robot remotely from Gurugram. The surgery took just one hour and was completed safely, with the child discharged the next day,” said Dr. Chandramohan.
This case sets a new benchmark as the world’s youngest telesurgery ever performed, surpassing a previous record in China for an 8-year-old patient.
Cross-State Telesurgery for Adult Patients
Another patient, a woman in Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh, suffered from urinary leakage after a hysterectomy. Local surgeons could only perform open surgery.
Using 5G connectivity and the SSI Mantra system, Dr. Chandramohan successfully performed the surgery remotely. The procedure lasted 1 hour and 20 minutes, marking India’s first cross-state telesurgery of this kind.
Technology and Expertise in Action
These procedures were made possible by a collaborative Indian medical and technical team, including:
- Hospital leadership: Dr. Roopa (Executive Director), Dr. Rangappa (CEO)
- Senior surgeons & urologists: Dr. Ramakrishna, Dr. Hemant, Dr. Soundarya
- Pediatric support: Dr. Devender (Anesthetist), Dr. Vamsi (Pediatrician)
- Coordinators & technicians: Rajender, Ganesh, Anil, Sridhar, Durgesh, Ishan Prashant
- SSI Mantra leadership: Vishva (Director), Dr. Sudhir Srivastava (CEO)
“A single console can connect to up to ten robots simultaneously, enabling top-level specialists to treat patients in remote areas while also training local doctors,” Dr. Chandramohan added.
Impact and Future Prospects
This telesurgery milestone proves that geography is no longer a barrier to quality healthcare. Robotic telesurgery improves patient outcomes, reduces travel for patients, and helps local doctors gain advanced skills.
India now leads in combining robotics, 5G technology, and surgical expertise, setting a benchmark for global pediatric and adult telesurgeries.
