KIMS to pilot South India's first robot assisted
It marks the most defining moment in the
history of medical sciences in South India
surgery is now a reality. South India's first
robotic facility set up at a cost of around Rs10
crore, will start functioning from June 26th and
will be used in both cardiac and non-cardiac
surgeries. KIMS (Krishna Institute of Medical
Sciences Ltd.), a 500 bedded, upscale, Multi Super
Specialty Hospital initiated a drive to use the
robot-assisted technology in a bid to benefit and
save patients suffering from plethora of problems
like Urology (prostate, kidney, and urinary
bladder) and Gynaecology surgeries and
subsequently add other specialties such as ENT,
Cardiac Surgery, Gastro Intestinal Surgery and
Liver Resections announced Dr.B. Bhaskar Rao,
Cardiothoracic Surgeon and Managing Director &
Chief Executive Officer of KIMS, addressing a
press conference in city.
Robotic Assisted Surgery is introduced in
association with Vattikuti Urology Institute (VUI),
Michigan, USA of Vattikuti Foundation, a major
global player in propagating the concept of
Minimally Invasive Research with a specific focus
in robotic surgery. To take robotic surgery to the
next level, robotic surgery institutes are
established globally. Similarly it associates with
KIMS to set up South India's first robotic
facility. VUI has performed over 6000 robotic
surgeries, more than any other hospital in the
world, added Dr. Rao.
Stating further Dr. Rao added that they are
organizing robotic surgeries from 26th June to 2nd
July 2011 and live workshop for consultants on
29th June 2011 on Robotic Surgery. Dr James
Peabody, a leading consultant in Robotic Surgery
at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan,
U.S.A., will conduct various Urological Surgical
procedures including Radical Prostectomy, Radical
Cystectomy, Pyeloplasty and Partial Nephrectomy,
Ureteral Reimplantation, Urinary Fistulae,
Adrenalectomy, IVC Thrombus Clearance,
Retroperitoneal Node Dissection, Live Donor
Nephrectomy and Hysterectomy for benign
The major advantage of Robotics assisted surgery
is that the incisions made are tiny so the
recovery from surgery is extremely quick. Quick
healing time is hallmark of this surgery. Rapid
recovery from cardiac surgery is not only better
for the patient, but it is less expensive for
society. Some other major advantages of robotic
surgery are precision, miniaturization, decreased
blood loss, less pain and lesser hospital stay.
The surgery could be conducted quickly and safely
with negligible blood loss informed Dr. B.Bhasker
Further advantages are articulation beyond normal
manipulation and three-dimensional magnification,
resulting in improved ergonomics. Robotic
techniques more useful where surgeons hands cannot
reach. And also 360 degree rotation, which through
hands is not possible. Thus robots take surgery
beyond the limits of human hand. On an average
patients leave the hospital two to five days
earlier than patients who have undergone
traditional open-heart surgery and return to work
and normal activity 50% more quickly. This also
reduces the number of staff needed during surgery,
nursing care. Therefore, the overall cost of
hospital stay comes down. So there is no blood
loss, so no blood transfusions are required. And
use of pain medication too comes down, Dr. Rao
In traditional open-heart surgery, the surgeon
makes a ten to twelve-inch incision, accesses the
heart by splitting the sternum (breast bone) and
spreading open the rib cage. The patient is then
placed on a heart-lung machine and the heart is
stopped for the length of the surgery. Not only is
this a way for bacteria that can cause infections
to access the patientís body, it also leads to a
painful wound, which takes time to heal.
The Vattikuti Urology Institute has demonstrated
the superiority of Robotic Radical Prostatectomy
over other techniques.
95-98% of patients with organ-confined, low
volume, low-PSA cancer had negative margins.
95% or more have had no detectable PSA in the
blood in follow up visits.
Most patients go home within 24 hours.
Most patients have very little blood loss or pain.
As of 2010, of the 5000+ people who have had
Vattikuti Institute Prostactectomy (VIP)
procedure, only six went on to die of cancer (less
Compared with other minimally invasive surgery
approaches, robot-assisted surgery gives the
surgeon better control over the surgical
instruments and a better view of the surgical
site. In addition, surgeons no longer have to
stand throughout the surgery and do not tire as
quickly. Naturally occurring hand tremors are
filtered out by the robotís computer software.
Finally, the surgical robot can continuously be
used by rotating surgery teams.
Robot-assisted surgery moves minimally invasive
surgery to a new level. Surgical robotics is a new
technology that now holds significant promise.
Robotic surgery is often heralded as the new
revolution, and it is one of the most talked about
subjects in surgery today. Unlike conventional
laparoscopic surgery, the robotic system provides
unprecedented highly magnified, three-dimensional
views of the operating field, eliminates tremors
in the surgeon's hand movements, allows for
greater freedom of motion for instruments, and all
motion is intuitive Ė when the surgeon directs an
instrument in a particular direction, it moves in
Now India has good number of trained robotic
surgeons. Once we install a robot, more doctors
trained in the procedure will be available.
Robotic surgery can be best useful in complex
surgeries that cannot be done using traditional
procedures like laproscopics, he added.
Surgery is not very costly. It is as cheap as any
other laparoscopic surgery, more so ever for
certain surgeries, it is lesser cost than
laparoscopic surgery. Presently well over 300 to
400 patients visit abroad for these procedures.
Now they can save precious foreign exchange on
travel, stay abroad etc. We also expect to attract
patients from across India and abroad. We expect
to serve about 300 to 400 patients a year,
informed Dr. B. Bhaskar Rao. Once the technology
becomes popular, we expect costs to still come
down, more so ever it will sooner or latter be
covered by insurance.
The robot that we are going to install is the best
and the latest in the country, said Dr Bhaskar Rao,
who is a consultant Cardio Thorasic Surgeon with
more than 18000 heart surgeries to his credit. We
know there is limited scope for such surgeries in
India because there are only three or four robotic
medical facilities available in the country, he
Robot-assisted surgery was developed to overcome
limitations of minimally invasive surgery. Instead
of directly moving the instruments the surgeon
uses a computer console to manipulate the
instruments attached to multiple robot arms. The
computer translates the surgeonís movements, which
are then carried out on the patient by the robot.
Other features of the robotic system include, for
example, an integrated tremor filter and the
ability for scaling of movements (changing of the
ratio between the extent of movements at the
master console to the internal movements of the
instruments attached to the robot).
Robot is a master slave to the surgeon. It only
obeys the orders from the surgeon. It does not do
anything on its own. It can never do anything on
The robotic system that made it all possible is
the da Vinci surgical robotic system, manufactured
by the California-based Intuitive Surgical. The da
Vinci System is FDA cleared for a variety of
surgical procedures including surgery for prostate
cancer, hysterectomy and mitral valve repair, and
is used in more than 1000 hospitals in the
Americas and Europe and is safe and has proven
track record, which patients need not worry about.
Robot assisted surgeries are now most sought after
surgeries in the most developed nations. And we
are not lagging behind.
At present most robotic surgeries are carried out
in the United States. But, it is catching up in
this region as well. ďThere are about 50-60
robotic systems in Southeast Asia. Robotic
surgeries are regularly performed in Singapore,
Malaysia, Japan and Korea. They are carried out in
India for almost one year now.
KIMS offers multi-specialty treatment and
facilities on par with its global competitors.
This hi-tech medical facility has all the services
required to handle every medical problem. They are
equipped with a 24 hour ambulance service, a round
the clock Pharmacy and a diagnostic centre, while
providing services that encompass almost all major
specialties such as Cardiology, Urology,
Nephrology, Dermatology, Gynaecology, etc. KIMS
aims to ensure that every need of the patients is
met with speed, accuracy, efficiency, and quality.
KIMS is organizing robotic surgeries from 26th
June to 2nd July 2011 and live workshop for
consultants on 29th June 2011 on Robotic Surgery.