India’s First 2,000-Km Robotic Cardiac Telesurgery Conducted Using Indigenous SSI Mantra System

The surgery, which involved closing an ASD in a 35-year-old patient, demonstrated precision and low latency, setting a new benchmark for remote surgical interventions.

India has achieved its first North-to-South robotic cardiac telesurgery, performed over a 2,000-kilometer distance. 

The procedure was conducted using the SSI Mantra 3 Surgical Robotic System, developed by SS Innovations, connecting their headquarters in Gurugram with Aster CMI Hospital in Bengaluru. 

The surgery, which involved closing an Atrial Septal Defect (ASD) in a 35-year-old patient, demonstrated precision and low latency, setting a new benchmark for remote surgical interventions.

Successful Cardiac Procedure Performed with Remote Robotic Assistance

The long-distance telesurgery lasted 2 hours and 40 minutes. It addressed a congenital heart condition in which a small hole between the upper heart chambers was repaired. 

Dr Sudhir Srivastava, Founder, Chairman, and CEO of SS Innovations, remotely led the procedure from Gurugram, with on-site support from Dr Arul Furtado, Consultant—cardiovascular and thoracic Surgery at Aster CMI Hospital, Bengaluru, and his team.

Dr Srivastava emphasized the importance of this advancement, stating, “This is a defining moment for the future of surgical care in India. With telesurgery powered by SSI Mantra—designed for India, for the world—we are bridging healthcare gaps and ensuring world-class surgical expertise reaches even the most remote areas. By seamlessly connecting North to South India, we have demonstrated how distance is no longer a barrier to advanced medical care. With CDSCO approval, we are fulfilling our mission to democratize robotic surgery.”

Dr Furtado highlighted the significance of this achievement, saying, "Performing our first intracardiac telesurgery for an Atrial Septal Defect on a young patient in his mid-thirties was both a valuable learning experience and a significant milestone for our institution. 

The experience was seamless, and the SSI Mantra Surgical Robotic System proved to be incredibly user-friendly, allowing us to perform the procedure with precision and confidence. Robotic telesurgery will redefine access to specialized surgical care, and today’s procedure marks just the beginning of this transformation."

Expansion of Telesurgery in India

This achievement follows previous telesurgeries by SS Innovations, including a 40-km procedure at Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute and a 286-km surgery connecting Gurugram with Manipal Hospital in Jaipur. 

The latest 2,000-km telesurgery underscores the potential of robotic-assisted remote procedures in improving access to specialized care across India.

Additionally, the Mantra System was used for two other complex surgeries—transthoracic Oesophagectomy and Pelvic Exenteration—remotely performed from SMRSC 2025, Delhi/NCR, while patients were in Bengaluru. 

The success of these procedures demonstrates the feasibility of telesurgery for intricate surgical interventions.