Indian company says robotic telesurgery can change surgeon training and access to care including cardiac surgeries

Amazing stuff! Good news!

What happens when you combine robotics with teleoperation? Healthy synergy at great distance.

"... The Gurugram, India-based company has completed five robotic cardiac telesurgeries, of increasing complexity, across more than 250 km (155 mi.). These procedures are just an early step in its goal to democratize access to cutting-edge healthcare  ...

The company’s latest system, the SSI Mantra 3, costs just a third of Intuitive Surgical’s da Vinci system ... Released in July 2024, SSI Mantra 3 received regulatory approval for remote surgery and teleproctoring from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO), opening the door for remote surgeries and medical education. ...

The team continued to increase the distance and complexity of these telesurgeries until it finally decided to take on cardiac surgeries. For example, it performed a robotic beating heart totally endoscopic coronary artery bypass (TECAB), one of the most complex cardiac surgical procedures. 

To perform its surgeries, the company partnered with the largest telecom company in India, Airtel, to secure dedicated fiber optic lines. ... although it leased 100 megabytes per second through the line, its bandwidth requirement for the surgeries was just 25 to 30 megabytes per second. ..."

SS Innovations says robotic telesurgery can change surgeon training and access to care - The Robot Report

Doctor performing a robotic telesurgery for atrial septal defect (ASD) 

The SSi Mantra 3 includes more than 40 different types of robotic instruments that can be used for different specialties including cardiac surgery

Remote surgery performed on a pig 9,000 km away using a game controller

Amazing stuff! Very impressive!

"Doctors have successfully operated on a pig – from 9,300 km (5,780 miles) away. Using a video game controller, surgeons in Switzerland successfully performed an endoscopy on a pig in Hong Kong, paving the way for remote procedures in humans in areas where local expertise isn’t available. ..."

"... Two operators controlled the procedure: a clinician in the operating room in Hong Kong and a remote expert at an operator console in Zurich, 9,300 kilometres (km) away. This study highlights the capabilities and future potential of this novel technology, facilitating immediate diagnostic and surgical care in remote areas, particularly for specialised procedures where local expertise is not available. Study details have been published in Advanced Intelligent Systems. ...

Post-operative X-ray imaging showed that the endoscope achieved full retroflexion within the model stomach, meaning it was able to perform a U-turn. In this procedure, retroflexion was an important milestone, as large bending angles can pose a challenge for magnetic endoscopes and successful retroflexion proves that magnetic endoscopes can move as freely as standard devices. In addition, stomach wall tissue was biopsied, and the tissue size was found to be suitable for further analysis. ..."

Remote surgery performed on a pig 9,000 km away using a game controller

CUHK and ETH Zurich successfully conduct world’s first in vivo teleoperated magnetic endoscopy using an animal model, over a distance of 9,300 km between Zurich and Hong Kong (original news release)

Dr Shannon Chan, located in Hong Kong, uses a game controller to control an endoscope located in Zurich, Switzerland, over 9,000 km (5,500 miles) away

CU Medicine and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH Zurich), Switzerland, have conducted the world’s first in vivo teleoperated magnetic endoscopy using a porcine model, performing a biopsy of the stomach wall.

Arizona Enacts Veterinary Telemedicine Law

Hopefully, this will benefit human telemedicine/telehealth too!

"... During the COVID pandemic, 19 states allowed pet owners to utilize telemedicine to initiate veterinary care with no reports of harm to pets. The Canadian province of Ontario, where 15 million people live, has enjoyed veterinary telemedicine for five years and also reported no complaints of injuries to pets. ..."

Arizona Enacts Veterinary Telemedicine Law So Pets Can Get the Care They Need

Indonesia and its ASEAN neighbors take to telemedicine

How bright is the future of telemedicine? How much costs would it save? More competition in healthcare is good for your health and budget!

"Accessing health care fast and efficiently has long been an issue in Indonesia. But in recent years, companies offering telemedicine services have been changing that.

 

Indonesia is not alone. App-based consultations are also becoming popular in other Southeast Asian countries, spurred by increasing demand for health care and a shortage of doctors in a region approaching 700 million people."

Indonesia and its ASEAN neighbors take to telemedicine - Nikkei Asia Growing populations, fewer physicians spur apps like Alodokter, Doctor Anywhere