BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN ROBOTIC-ASSISTED SURGERY AND MASSES

Modernisation in the field of medical science is a sign of the development of any society or country. With the increased research in the usage of robotics for surgeries, the entire landscape of the healthcare system is changing. After the first patient was operated on in 1998 using a surgical robot, over a million robotic surgeries have been completed successfully in the last 20 + years with a continuous evolution in technology.

India was not much behind at acknowledging the change and the first robotic system was installed at Fortis Escorts in 2002, I was the first to do the procedure in December 2002. But the growth in the number of robotic surgeries was not on the surge. Currently, there are close to 79 robotic surgical system installations present in India that are not being used to their full potential as these systems are far too expensive and take years to master, due to which very few surgeons get trained to operate these robotic systems and, much of the world is still waiting to benefit from this technology.

The current robotic system da Vinci available in India at the highest level sells at 16 to 18 crore. Robotic surgery through this system is expensive than conventional surgery and so still not sought after. With a population of 1.4 billion people, robotic surgery will be a blessing in India as it causes fewer traumas and helps the fast recovery of a patient with fewer complications. Just like India, many parts of the world do not have access to less invasive operations. People should get a chance to get to choose robotic surgery as it’s less invasive and more precise. It’s a move towards stronger healthcare infrastructure.

To bring robotic surgery to the masses is a challenge in the present scenario as it’s not cost-effective. Almost 93% of world robotic systems exist between the US, Europe, and Japan. The rest of the world is still waiting for easy access to robotic surgery, mainly due to the cost and partly due to the deficit of knowledge and learning.

The next-generation surgical robots should be economical to bridge the gap, which can be made available for more people and benefit the world in the long run. Around 140 companies and research institutions are working on various robotic systems. The focus is on how to keep it cost-effective. If the procedures are economical and the maintenance contracts are affordable, more patients will get the benefit. Keeping this vision in mind, we are all set to launch the first Made in India robotic surgical system SSI Mantra by the end of this year. The introduction of the SSI Mantra to the Indian healthcare system will revolutionise it. It is going to be our first step towards making robotic surgery part of our healthcare system. Young doctors will also get a scope to learn how to perform surgeries through the robotic surgical system during their Post Graduate training.

Everything said and done is still a huge responsibility to bridge the gap depending on creating awareness about the benefits of robotic surgery. Acceptance of robotic surgery needs to increase significantly, along with the cost-effectiveness. The transition from conventional surgery to robotic surgery will be complete once accessibility and affordability are chalked out and planned accordingly.

The writer is MD and founder of SS Innovations Pvt. Ltd.