National Institute of Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases Hospital, New Delhi conducts its first Robotic Bullectomy surgery using SSI MANTRA
Technological advancements, especially in medical science has witnessed a stupendous increase in India. One such technology is Robotic Surgery. India prides itself on a technologically advanced indigenous robotic system, the SSI MANTRA, the brainchild of Dr. Sudhir Prem Srivastava, a world-renowned robotic cardiac surgeon and pioneer in the field. SSI MANTRA has been developed with a vision to make the robotic system affordable resulting in the decreased cost of surgeries so that the common man can have access to gold-standard, high-tech, and qualitative medical care.
The SSI MANTRA Surgical Robot system recently executed a flawless Bullectomy surgery which involved the removal of apical bullae within the lung which had developed because of the destruction of the lungs. The balloons grow and compress the lung, making it hard to breathe. If bullae rupture, air escapes into the space between the lung and the chest wall, which can cause the lung to collapse, a condition called pneumothorax. After undergoing multiple episodes of recurrent pneumothorax, the patient had the condition surgically treated.
NITRD (National Institute of Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases), a Government of India Institute, under the Directorate General of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is the first Central Government hospital to purchase the indigenous SSI MANTRA Robotic Surgical System.
Dr. Sudhir Srivastava, Founder, Chairman & CEO, SS Innovations and the brain behind SSI MANTRA said, “The success of the Bullectomy Surgery at NITRD using SSI MANTRA further cements the superiority of the system to be able to perform such complex surgeries with utmost precision. This has spurred the team at SS Innovations to scale the next height and take on more challenging surgeries with renewed vigour”.
Performing the surgery on the patient, along with his team of specialists, Dr. Ravindra Kumar Dewan, Director, of the National Institute of Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases said, “SSI MANTRA’s surgeon’s console gives a magnified, close-up view of surgical area compared to the traditional visual assisted system. The maneuverability of the robotic arms enabled us to go into various crevices of the thoracic cavity making it far easier to perform the surgery with ease and precision”
Dr. Saraansh Bansal, Consultant Thoracic Surgeon, National Institute of Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases said, “The vision of SS Innovations to innovate SSI MANTRA by harnessing technology in healthcare has enabled a Government Institution to procure this system so that the poorest of the poor of this nation can benefit from this technology and improve the quality of their lives”.
Expressing gratitude to SSI MANTRA for giving him a fresh lease of life, the patient who underwent the Robotic Bullectomy surgery, Rajesh Gupta, 28, an executive in a courier firm says, “After medication and other procedures like inserting a tube in my lungs did not give a permanent solution to my problem, I was introduced to robotic surgery at TB hospital. The doctors said that Government Hospitals have low-cost surgical options. Since I am the breadwinner for the family, it was crucial for me to get back to work soon. The doctors told me about minimal incisions and faster recovery and the cost was also less. So I went in for it. After undergoing the surgery through SSI MANTRA, I feel every Government Hospital, where the economically weaker visit, should have the SSI MANTRA Surgical Robotic System which will enable the poor to get timely and most importantly qualitative medical care, which otherwise they cannot afford”
About SSI MANTRA:
The SSI Mantra Surgical Robotic System, by SS Innovations, is a modular multi-arm system with many advanced technology features. It allows for the use of 3-5 robotic arms, has an open-faced ergonomic Surgeon Command Centre, a 32-inch large 3D 4K monitor, a 23-inch 2D Touch panel monitor for all patient-related information display, a virtual real-time image of the robotic Patient Side Arm Carts, and the ability for superimposition of 3D models of diagnostic imaging. The Vision Cart gives the table-side team the same magnified 3D 4K view as the Surgeon to provide better safety and efficiency. The modular robotic arms give flexibility in positioning and the number of arms to be used. This allows for collision-free conduct of surgical operations. There are over 30 different types of robotic endo-surgical instruments that can be used for different specialties including Cardiac Surgery. The learning curve is short due to its very thoughtful and ergonomic design and user-friendly features.
About SS Innovations:
SS Innovations has been involved in the field of medical robotic technology over the past decade. By pushing the limits of technology, SS Innovations aims to improve the quality of medical services for patients all over the world. SS Innovations is at the forefront of advancing technology, and cutting-edge training to push the field of medical robotics forward. SS Innovations is aware that innovation is the key to progress and therefore it is constantly refining and improving its technology and practices to help build a brighter future.
About Dr. Sudhir P Srivastava:
SSI Mantra is the brainchild of Dr. Srivastava, a world-famous robotic cardiac surgeon, who is the Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Sudhir Srivastava Innovations Pvt Ltd (SS Innovations). Dr. Srivastava received his medical degree at J.L.N. Medical College in Rajasthan at age 21. Shortly thereafter, he left for the United States, where he started his post-graduate training and finally completed his General and Cardiothoracic Surgery residency at the University of British Columbia Hospitals in Vancouver, Canada. In 2003, as the founding chairman along with 10 other physicians, he founded Alliance Hospital, a center of excellence in cardiovascular disease in West Texas, USA. While there, he performed the world’s first single vessel ‘Totally Endoscopic Coronary Artery Bypass’ (TECAB). Dr. Srivastava is the only person in the world to have performed a quadruple TECAB on a beating heart while at the University of Chicago. In his career, Dr. Srivastava has performed over 1400 robotic cardiothoracic surgeries, including 750 beating heart TECAB cases that represent one of the largest experiences in the world.
It was his passion to expand the minimally invasive surgical techniques, that drove him to teach and train over 350 surgical teams globally in robotic coronary bypass procedures and it is that same passion that helped him lead the development of the SSI Mantra system after seeing the disparity in the global access to robotic surgery. According to him, this robotic surgery technology has attributes such as 3D vision, which can be magnified up to 10 times, with a true high definition 3D 4K resolution, which provides an absolute and very precise depth of view. The machine filters any tremors the surgeon may have. The number of complications is significantly reduced. There is less trauma because the incisions are small, and they heal very quickly. There is no disruption of the structure of the thoracic cage. So, the patients recover very quickly, blood loss is less and the rate of infection is significantly decreased. The hero of the theatre of robotic operation came back to India in 2011 with his family and bags to serve Motherland.
About Dr. Ravindra Kumar Dewan and NITRD:
Dr. Ravindra Kumar Dewan, Director, NITRD is by profession a Thoracic Surgeon. Dr. Dewan completed his MBBS in 1983 from Maulana Azad Medical College and MS in 1988 from the same college. He did his M Ch in 1991 in Cardio-Thoracic surgery from GB Pant Hospital. Dr. Dewan is also the recipient of the National Talent Search Scholarship awarded by the National Council of Educational Research and Training. Prior to joining NITRD, Dr. Dewan also served as Senior Resident (Cardio-Thoracic Surgery) at GB Pant Hospital for a period of 3 years.
National Institute of Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases is a 500-bed tertiary referral centre for T.B. and Respiratory Diseases. It is an autonomous institute under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Its main aim is to act as an apex Institute in the country for the prevention, control, and treatment of Tuberculosis and Allied Diseases. It also aims to promote National Tuberculosis Control Programme in the country and to formulate strategies that are socially acceptable and economically feasible in order to assist and strengthen the program.
