A roving da Vinci surgical robot is stationed here giving surgeons, oncologists and physicians a feel of this cutting edge advance in surgery. 
 
Over the next few months this robot will tour through 20 Indian cities. Vattikuti Technologies, that makes available da Vinci Robotic system manufactured by Sunnyvale, California based Intuitive Surgical Inc., is taking this advanced technology surgical robot around the country and will demonstrate it in prominent hospitals, both in metro and non-metro cities.

“With the increased pace of adoption of Robotic surgery by Indian surgeons, and nearly 40 Hospitals already using this advanced technology for surgery in the metro cities, we felt it was the right time to take the da Vinci system to Tier 2 and Tier 3 towns. At the end of this tour, we expect a much better appreciation of robotic surgery and its benefits by Indian surgeons as they can touch and feel the Robot and experience the use of advanced technology to improve outcomes,” says Gopal Chakravarthy, CEO of Vattikuti Technologies.
 
By demonstrating this surgical robot to a large audience of Indian surgeons, Vattikuti Technologies intends to create not only awareness about robotic surgery and its contribution in superior patient outcomes, but also its ease of use. Robotic surgery scores over conventional surgery as it enables a high degree of precision and minimizes blood loss, drastically reducing the post-operative recovery time and costs.

The roving surgical robot placed at a prominent place in a hospital will give a chance for Surgeons and doctors to understand how a robotic surgery works. Subsequently, once a hospital decides to acquire and install a Robotic system, interactive sessions of Proctorship with practicing Robotic surgeons and clinical advisors will help them shorten their learning curve and allow them to use the Robot in the shortest time.
 
The surgical robot has already been showcased at the Kovai Medical Centre and Hospital in Coimbatore and Vidharba Surgeons’ Conference in Nagpur. Over the next few quarters, it will be taken to major Tier-2 cities in India, apart from some metros such as Chennai, Bangalore in South India.
 
“Vattikuti Technologies is gearing up to enhance access to Robotic surgery, covering specialized cancer centers, large government hospitals and small hospitals in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities.

Vattikuti Technologies and Intuitive Surgical have worked together to offer hospitals special price points as they achieve the 450-procedure mark over three years. This move will ensure availability of cancer surgery closer home for patients at prices that make robotic surgery affordable to the masses,” says Gopal Chakravarthy.

The Vattikuti Foundation, a not-for-profit organization promoting the use of technology in Healthcare, has helped its commercial arm in training over 200 surgeons from over a dozen cities in nearly 40 hospitals in the last five years. The Foundation’s goal is to have 500 trained surgeons by 2020.  Awareness drives, conferences and seminars, getting proctors to perform live surgery and paid fellowships to surgeons are some of the ways in which the Vattikuti Foundation is growing the pool of robotic surgeons in India.

The imperative behind this drive is the quest to conquer cancer. Robotic surgery has proven superior outcomes in Urology, Gynecology and Head and Neck surgery.

Adoption of Robotic Surgery by government hospitals will ensure treatment to people who can’t afford private healthcare but deserve the latest medical attention. The government hospitals typically adopt a dual pricing system--charge only those who can afford.
Photo Caption


 Dr Rajesh Ahlawat of Fortis Escorts Hospital;  Dr Praveen Bhatia, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital; Gopal Chakravarthy, CEO, Vattikuti Tech; Raj Vattikuti, Vattikuti Foundation; Dr Sudhir Rawal, Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute and Dr Arun Prasad, Apollo Hospital unveil Edge, a journal dedicated to Robotic Surgery in India while unveiling a plan to prepare 500 Robotic Surgeons by 2020.