Over the years, robotic-assisted surgeries (RAS) have made a significant contribution to the Indian healthcare industry.

For our comprehensive coverage and latest updates on COVID-19 click here.

According to several surgeons, robotic-assisted surgery can provide them with the ability to perform many types of complex surgical procedures with more precision, flexibility and control than traditional techniques. According to a Research and Markets report, the growth of the Indian robotic-assisted surgical technique is on the upward path, and a CAGR of 19.8 percent is anticipated between 2019 and 2024.

Shorter recovery period post-surgery, less pain and less blood loss are the features attributed to robotic-assisted surgeries. They are considered to be a better alternatives to open surgeries and laparoscopic surgeries where the incisions made are large and usually have longer recovery time. For instance, a 52-year-old patient diagnosed with prostate cancer was worried about the long-lasting side-effects like trouble with urination, bowel problems and erectile dysfunction. After undergoing robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy, he is living a normal life without any side-effects.

Robotic-assisted surgeries came to the aid of critical patients, especially when elective surgeries were put on hold during the Covid-19 lockdown. Somshekhar, Chairman and Robotic Surgeon at Hipec Super Specialist Manipal Comprehensive Cancer Centre, said, "Hospitals kept non-COVID surgeries on hold at the start of the pandemic, fearing transmission of infection. But critical surgeries had to be completed quickly and RAS helped. We could complete over 350 surgeries using robots since the lockdown."

Robotic-assisted surgeries have made an important contribution to India's patient and healthcare system, and it will be an important part of its future. The inauguration of the robotic-assisted surgery facility at the Safdarjung Hospital in the national capital by Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan in 2019 represented an important milestone for RAS in India.

Anup Kumar, Head of Department, Urology and Renal Transplant at Safdarjung Hospital, said, "It is exciting to be a part of the growth journey of robotic-assisted surgery in India. Indian surgeons are now adopting to RAS primarily because of the promising results and the potential for good patient outcomes."

Another such specialist, Kishore T.A. from the Aster DM Hospital, said that robotic-assisted surgery has been a huge advancement for urology and other surgical specialties. "In surgeries, I need a superior view of the operating area and robotic-assisted surgery offers a 3DHD image of the target anatomy, which helps us operate with precision. In smaller areas like the pelvis, the movement of the human hand can be restricted, but with robotic-assisted surgery, I can rotate the wristed instruments more than I can rotate my hand in an open surgery," he added.

India is currently home to more than 500 robotic surgeons using da Vinci systems and more than 70 da Vinci systems have been installed at various government and private hospitals. These numbers are expected to grow substantially in the coming years, providing patients and surgeons with an alternative to traditional techniques. "The future of robotic-assisted surgery continues to be bright in India, as surgeons and patients are realising the positive clinical and patient outcomes, and there is an increased interest from both public and private hospitals to adopt robotic-assisted surgery," said Mandeep Kumar, Vice President and Country GM, Intuitive India. Intuitive began its direct operations in India in 2018, after realising the market potential and opportunity of robotic-assisted surgery.