Udaipur : In a landmark achievement that could redefine the future of surgery worldwide, a world record in medical history was established with the successful completion of a robot-assisted cardiac procedure across nearly 20,000 kilometres of fibre network distance between Guyana and India, making it the world’s longest-distance robotic cardiac telesurgery ever conducted. Prior to this historic event, the longest robotic cardiac telesurgery done was from Strasbourg, France to Indore, India with a communication distance of 10,000 kilometers utilizing the Made in India SSI Mantra Surgical Robotic System. To date, 22 cardiac telesurgeries have been successfully performed using the SSI Mantra system, the only robotic surgery system globally that has been used for cardiac telesurgery.
The historic procedure connected Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), Guyana with IRCAD India, Indore, where renowned robotic cardiac surgeon Dr. Sudhir Srivastava remotely performed a Left Internal Mammary Artery (LIMA) takedown using the India-developed SSI Mantra Surgical Robotic System.
How The Surgery Was Carried Out?
For the historic intercontinental procedure, Dr. Sudhir Srivastava created aoperated remotely from Georgetown, Guyana using the SSI MantrAsana tele-surgeon console – a compact, chair-based robotic surgery command system designed to perform procedures from distant locations in real time. The patient-side robotic setup was stationed at IRCAD India in Indore, where the robotic arms and surgical instruments precisely replicated Dr. Srivastava’s hand movements from nearly 20,000 kilometers away. The system functioned with a network latency of 290-300 milli seconds, , allowingcommunication between both locations during the surgery. Equipped with high-definition 3D visualisation and advanced robotic controls, the technology enabled the surgical teams in Guyana and India to coordinate the complex cardiac procedure with precision and stability despite the vast geographical distance. In India, the surgery was supported by Dr. Lalit Malik, Chief Cardiac Surgeon at Manipal Hospitals Jaipur, Dr. Ram Shukla, Consultant Cardiac Surgeon at Bhandari Hospital and Research Center, and Dr. Mohit Bhandari, Bariatric Surgery and President of IRCAD India.
Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, President of Guyana, said, “As Guyana celebrates its 60th Independence Anniversary, we are proud to mark the beginning of a transformative new chapter in our nation’s healthcare journey. Our vision has always been to position Guyana as a leader in advanced healthcare and medical innovation, and today we take a significant step forward with the adoption of robotic surgery technology, one of the most groundbreaking advancements in modern medicine. Adding to the significance of this historic milestone, renowned Indian surgeon Dr. Sudhir Srivastava and his team successfully performed the world’s longest-distance telesurgery, operating remotely from Guyana on a patient in India across a distance of nearly 20,000 kilometers. This landmark achievement showcases the immense potential of technology to transcend geographical boundaries, while placing Guyana at the forefront of next-generation healthcare innovation.
He further added, we are confident that with the SSi Mantra robotic surgical system and its comprehensive training ecosystem, Guyana will rapidly build a strong pool of skilled robotic surgery practitioners. This initiative will enhance the capabilities of our healthcare workforce, expand access to advanced medical care, and further strengthen Guyana’s position as an emerging leader in healthcare innovation in the region”.
Commenting on the achievement, Dr. Sudhir Srivastava, Chairman and CEO, SS Innovations International, said, “The successful completion of this intercontinental cardiac telesurgery between Guyana and India at a world-record distance of 20,000 kms, marks a historic milestone for SS Innovations and our SSI Mantra surgical robotic system. With each new remote procedure, we continue to push the boundaries of telesurgery and move closer to democratizing access to world-class surgical expertise globally. I would like to thank the leadership of Guyana, especially President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, and the Honourable Health Minister, Dr. Frank Anthony, for positioning the country as a modern robotic surgery hub for the Caribbean. I would also like to extend my gratitude to the remarkable clinical and technical teams in both Guyana and India for making this telesurgery possible.”
