India has made history by performing the world’s first pediatric telesurgery on a 16-month-old infant in Hyderabad. The groundbreaking procedure was carried out remotely over 1,600 kilometers using the indigenously developed SSI Mantra robotic surgical system. Powered by 5G technology, the surgery highlighted the precision, safety, and reliability of robotic intervention in delicate pediatric cases. This milestone sets a new global benchmark in medical technology and proves that distance is no longer a barrier to life-saving expertise. It also positions India as a leader in affordable, homegrown innovations shaping the future of healthcare worldwide.
India’s First Pediatric Telesurgery Medical Breakthrough
One of the most significant medical accomplishments has relegated geographical distance as an unbeatable obstacle to life-saving experience which is a medical accomplishment that proves that geographical distance is no longer a significant obstacle to life-saving experience. It was the first in the world, where a 16-month-old baby in Hyderabad, India, was successfully operated by a surgeon 1,600 kilometers away using a robotic telesurgery. Not only a massive technological advance, the event also set a new international standard in the field of child care, highlighting the unity of high-speed connection, high-speed connectivity and master equals surgery.
Remote Pediatric Surgery Over 1600 Km Distance
The intervention that triggered this milestone was a pyeloplasty in a child, a complex surgery to repair a birth defect (ureteropelvic junction (UPJ)) obstruction. The infant was born with a blockage between the renal pelvis of the kidney and the ureter, which prevented the free flow of urine to the bladder. Unresolved, such a condition may cause irreversible, long-term kidney damage.
This was done by a surgery conducted by Dr. V. Chandramohan, Managing Director of Preeti Kidney Hospital. When the baby patient was lying at the hospital facility in Kondapur, Hyderabad, he was sitting at a surgeon’s console at the head office of SS Innovations in Gurugram, which is approximately 1,000 miles in distance. At this distance, he kept the arms of the SSI Mantra, a home-grown surgical robot system, running to carry out the surgery.
This was done in such an efficient manner that the patient showed a quick recovery, making the 16-month-old child leave the hospital just the following day. This speedy and positive achievement is the strongest validator of the telesurgery paradigm as a whole. As the technology and the distance is a feat itself, the physical human advantage of a less invasive surgery that can enable a toddler to go back home nearly right after the surgery turns an abstract technological production into a very strong and credible medical fact.
This result is a confirmation of the professionalism of the surgeon, but also the integrity of the robotic platform, the dependability of the network connection, and the competence of the local medical staff for which the procedure was conducted in Hyderabad.
Global Benchmark in Pediatric Robotic Telesurgery
This was a clearly staged world-record event, which was establishing a new precedent in the sphere of remote surgery. It is recorded as the youngest telesurgery in the world having ever been done with a patient aged 16 months and this is quite an enormous jump to implement this technology on the most delicate patients through the use of the telesurgery.
In addition, the operation is also named as the first pediatric pyeloplasty telesurgery in the world. This particular term is an indication of the age of the patient but also of the complicated nature of reconstructive procedure done. The repeated and premeditated positioning of the surgery as opposed to the world record of the time in various official messages suggests a well-planned and tactical initiative of Preeti Hospital and SS Innovations.
This was not just a successful operation but a planned move of milestone-setting meant to win the global interest and make India a leader and not a follower in a very advanced field of medicine. Dr. Chandramohan himself was able to say this narrative of national pride and technological sovereignty when he said that he was proud of India and Indian technology.
Why Robotic Telesurgery Works Best for Pediatrics
The choice of selecting a robotic platform was informed by understandable clinical guidelines. Dr. Chandramohan claims that the traditional open surgery would have been too dangerous to be used on a patient of such a young age, and thus the accuracy of robotics would be the safest and most reasonable option.
Pyeloplasty in children is a complicated surgery requiring a micro scale dissection, fine stitching, and impeccable reconstruction. In the small abdominal cavity of a child, the organs are very small and any little mistake or hand trembling may translate to irreversible kidney damage.
Robotic surgery helps to reduce these risks by eliminating tremors and scaling the movements of the hands of the surgeon into smaller and highly accurate movements, which is especially important in the cases of children and proves the success of this world-first procedure as a potent evidence of concept.
Indian Doctors Behind Pediatric Robotic Surgery
This radical telesurgery did not happen only because of technology but due to a strong combination of human skills, vision, and cooperation. Two innovative personalities, Dr. V. Chandramohan, the surgeon at the console, and Dr. Sudhir Srivastava, the architect overseeing the robotic system, owe most of this accomplishment. This milestone was made possible by their collaboration with the help of a specific ecosystem of medical and technical experts.
Dr. V Chandramohan Robotic Surgery Expertise
Dr. V. Chandramohan is a very renowned urologist, robotic surgeon and the Managing Director of Preeti Urology & Kidney Hospital. He has had more than 15 years of experience, and more than 30,000 successful surgeries to his name, earning him expertise in his work as a product of the top medical institutions in India.
Dr. Chandramohan is not just an ordinary practitioner, but an educated innovator and teacher. His contributions to the field are also demonstrated by the fact that he introduced Retrograde Intrarenal Surgery (RIRS) using Laser Flexible Ureteroscopy to his area 15 years ago and is a national and international faculty member of the technique. He has also pioneered several medical firsts in his area.
His attitude to the telesurgery shows not only his pragmatism in clinical practice but also his visionary thinking. He explained his robotics selection by citing the issue of patient safety. Since the child is still young, we chose robotic surgery and a more long-range perspective of the future implications of the technology. A single console can operate up to ten robots at the same time, not only allows the patient to improve, but also enables the training of local doctors.
Dr. Sudhir Srivastava SSI Mantra Robot
The invention of the SSI Mantra robotic system belongs to Dr. Sudhir Srivastava, a widely recognized robotic cardiac surgeon in the world, who is the Founder, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer of SS Innovations. His experience as a surgeon is a key aspect in designing the design of the SSI Mantra. The system was conceived by a surgeon, of surgeons, an internal awareness of the ergonomic, functional, and procedural requirements of the operating room.
Democratization of high-profile medical technology is the main objective featured in the mission of Dr. Srivastava and SS Innovations. The given purpose is aimed at making robotic surgery more affordable and accessible to a world population, with a specific emphasis on delivering the solution to underserved groups.
This objective is supported by the commentary he used on the topic of pediatric telesurgery, where he pointed to the universal benefits of robotic surgery namely it is more precise, less invasive with smaller incisions, less painful, and faster with a shorter time of recovery, and proposed telesurgery as an essential support of the company mission to reach patients in remote locations.
The collaboration of Dr. Chandramohan and Dr. Srivastava is a best example of symbiosis of clinical and engineering excellence. It is a high-level partnership between an end-user of the highest level where the clinical record would be beyond any doubt and a surgical center of high volume, and a high-level manufacturer whose vision would be based on a profound surgical experience.
This synergy gives the SSI Mantra platform unbelievable credibility and it is a perfect example of what successful medical innovation should be. It is also an effective reinforcement of the Made in India story, with an Indian trained surgeon operating a system developed by an Indian surgeon-innovator, with homegrown excellence at every stage of the process.
Team Effort Driving India’s Robotic Surgery Success
This was by all measures a group effort. The technology was surrounded by a well-orchestrated human support system whose success was determined. These were senior surgeons and urologists, pediatric specialists such as anesthetist Dr. Devender and pediatrician Dr. Vamsi, and a host of coordinators, and technicians, and engineers of both Preeti Hospital and SS Innovations, show that even the most advanced robotionics systems need the base of well-trained and well-coordinated human efforts to be safe and effective.
SSI Mantra Robot Powered by 5G Surgery
The effective operation of the youngest telesurgery of the world was predetermined by two technological bedrocks; The SSI Mantra surgical robotic machine and the 5G network of high speed and low latency that linked them together. It is important to know about these technologies to be able to recognize the extent of this accomplishment.
SSI Mantra India’s Robotic Surgery Innovation
It is repeatedly made clear that it is an indigenous, Made in India system, which is a matter of national pride and is the major point of its strategic placement, as it serves as a cost-effective alternative to the world-renowned systems and thus benefits the range of hospitals that can now afford robotic surgery.
The design of the system has a few important characteristics that will overcome the identified shortcomings of the old robotic platforms:
Modular Design: The platform consists of three to five modular robotic arm carts, which provides flexibility in the operating room setup and allows for adaptation to different surgical procedures.
Advanced Visualization: The surgeon operates from an open-faced console equipped with a large 3D 4K monitor. This provides a magnified, immersive, and high-definition view of the surgical site, enhancing precision. Critically, a separate vision cart provides this same 3D view to the entire table-side team. This design choice is a direct solution to the problem of surgeon isolation common in older systems, fostering better team coordination and situational awareness.
Surgeon-Centric Ergonomics: The open-faced console is designed to be more ergonomic, allowing the surgeon to sit in a more natural, upright position compared to older "hunched over" designs. This reduces physical strain and fatigue during long and complex procedures.
The SSI Mantra is not a new technology, it is an established and tested platform. With more than 4,000 surgeries in more than 100 different procedures of specialization (including urology and gynecology) and some of the most challenging cardiac and thoracic surgeries, the full clinical validation speaks of its reliability and versatility.
In addition, SS Innovations is not only coming up with a standalone robot but also with an overall surgical ecosystem. This involves SSI Mudra (a system of surgical tools), SSI Sutra (a related digital platform), and the MantraM (a mobile telesurgery bus), which points to a comprehensive approach to software hardware, consumables, connectivity and even mobile training and deployment.
How 5G Enables Remote Robotic Surgery
The surgery was specifically facilitated by 5G connectivity, which serves as the digital nervous system whereby the movements of the hands of a surgeon are transmitted to the response of the robot in a 1600-kilometer distance practically without any delay. Any considerable delay would give rise to disastrous mistakes.30
In the case of SSI Mantra in telesurgery, the viability of the system has been proven with other more complex surgeries, which include cardiac surgeries, where the network connections were stable with latencies of 35-40 milliseconds (a quarter-second) or less. In the surgery of the pediatric pyeloplasty, Dr. Chandramohan reported a latency of 100 milliseconds, a delay that is well within the safe and functional range of controlled surgery. This low latency was the critical enabler that made it real.
Robotic vs Traditional Pediatric Surgery Outcomes
The advantages of the robotic approach, particularly in a delicate pediatric case, are best understood through a direct comparison with traditional methods.
Incision
Traditional Open Surgery: Large, single incision.
Laparoscopic Surgery: Several small incisions.
Robotic Surgery (SSI Mantra): Several tiny, fingertip-sized incisions.
Surgeon’s View
Traditional Open Surgery: Direct, natural view.
Laparoscopic Surgery: 2D view on a monitor.
Robotic Surgery (SSI Mantra): Magnified, high-definition 3D 4K view.
Instrument Control
Traditional Open Surgery: Direct hand control.
Laparoscopic Surgery: Straight, rigid instruments with limited motion.
Robotic Surgery (SSI Mantra): Articulated “wrists” with 360° rotation and tremor filtration.
Precision
Traditional Open Surgery: Dependent on surgeon’s hand stability.
Laparoscopic Surgery: Challenging for fine suturing due to fulcrum effect.
Robotic Surgery (SSI Mantra): Enhanced, sub-millimeter precision, ideal for delicate pediatric tissue.
Blood Loss
Traditional Open Surgery: Significant.
Laparoscopic Surgery: Reduced.
Robotic Surgery (SSI Mantra): Minimal.
Recovery Time
Traditional Open Surgery: Extended hospital stay, longer recovery.
Laparoscopic Surgery: Faster than open surgery.
Robotic Surgery (SSI Mantra): Very fast; patient discharged next day.
Scarring
Traditional Open Surgery: Significant.
Laparoscopic Surgery: Minimal.
Robotic Surgery (SSI Mantra): Minimal.
Future Impact of Pediatric Robotic Telesurgery
The story behind the successful telesurgery on a 16-month-old baby is not just a medical success story but rather a piece of evidence of the concepts behind the technology and the future of healthcare provision, medical training and the role of India in the high-tech world. This phenomenon is a trigger, indicating the possible paradigm shift in the way specialized medical care is received and distributed.
Telesurgery Bridging India’s Urban Rural Healthcare Gap
The most disruptive and immediate potential of telesurgery is the ability to make high-quality surgical care democratized and geography will no longer be such a significant barrier to care even in a large country like India where the world-level specialists are often confined in big metropolitan areas.31
Such success gives a practical illustration of one of the new models of healthcare care, whereby the patient stays in their neighborhood with the expert of the surgeon being digitally transferred to him/her. The economics of this reversal of the standard model, in which the patients have to travel to the specialist, are significant. It enables healthcare revenue to stay local, and decreases the out-of-pocket payments by the family, and allows big specialty hospitals to extend the presence of their premier surgeons without incurring the physical investments required. Simply put, surgical knowledge is going to be a digital deliverable service.
Telesurgery as a New Medical Training Model
In addition to treatments of patients, telesurgery starts a groundbreaking system of medical education and mentoring. The SSI Mantra system is regulated in India to perform tele-proctoring, during which an expert surgeon can remotely instruct and oversee a less-experienced surgeon to perform a procedure in real-time.
This potential is exemplified by the vision of one expert at one console being connected to a number of robots at once that was envisioned by Dr. Chandramohan. This enables the creation of a system of knowledge transfer between senior surgeons and local doctors in distant locations without the necessity of the former to be physically present. This would be a direct response to the cause of the disparity in healthcare, the lack of trained specialists in the rural regions, by establishing a structure that would raise all boats and develop local capacity, as opposed to merely concentrating the expertise.
India’s Rise in Global MedTech Innovation
This is a milestone that has been attained by the Indian medical technology industry. The end-to-end implementation of an indigenous robotic system of a high-stakes world-first procedure is a demonstration of the ability of the country to develop and implement world-class innovation end-to-end, and serves as affirmation of the country as a high-end, affordable manufacturer of medical technology.
This one, highly acclaimed achievement will spell an adoption flywheel effect. The ultimate weapon of creation of trust and validation in the technology is a world-first surgery on an infant. This confidence leads to more surgeons getting training on the platform.
More trained surgeons, in its turn, make the purchase of the system more attractive to more hospitals. The more systems installed and the size of the network, the bigger the telesurgery and teleproctoring becomes and the bigger are the success stories that propagate further the trust and lead to more adoption. This may thus be the trigger that greatly hastens the effort of integrating the SSI Mantra ecosystem within the state of India and in other countries that are interested in the high-level but low-cost surgery services.
Challenges to Mass Adoption of Telesurgery
Mass adoption of telesurgery won’t be easy, despite the enormous potential it holds. These barriers are the startup cost of robotic systems (although possibly less than competitors), the necessity to provide high speed network infrastructure that is robust and reliable even in the remotest locations, and the creation of standardized training, credentialing, and safety guidelines to remote operations.
In the future, SS Innovations has already indicated its intention to keep improving and innovating. The company also intends to increase the capabilities of the SSI Mantra to make it more specifically adapted to pediatric use by making the instrumentation more specialized and smaller, and this will make the technology more precisely suited and more readily available to all patients across the board.
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