Youngest telesurgery in India: Hyderabad infant’s renal procedure done remotely from Gurugram

Hyderabad: A 16-month-old child was remotely operated from over 1,600 km away by using telesurgery with the help of 5G technology.

Youngest patient to undergo telesurgery

The infant was the youngest patient to have undergone an operation using telesurgery. It was performed by a team of surgeons in Hyderabad, making it a landmark robotic surgery using the latest technology.

Bridging healthcare from urban to rural areas

This is an example of how urban centres can now reach out to those in remote and rural areas, said the team of surgeons who operated on the baby.

What was the procedure about?

The young patient was born with a ureteropelvic obstruction, a congenital condition where a blockage in the renal pelvis prevents urine from flowing from the kidney to the bladder.

The infant was brought to Preeti Kidney Hospital in Kondapur, Hyderabad, for the specialised procedure. However, the surgeon, Dr V Chandramohan, was in Gurugram, roughly 1,600 km away.

Using the indigenously developed SSI Mantra robotic system and a secure 5G connection, Dr Chandramohan controlled the surgical robot from a remote console.

Previous case was in China on an 8-year-old

The delicate, hour-long operation to clear the blockage was successful, and the baby was discharged just one day later. This case surpasses a previously reported telesurgery on an 8-year-old in China, setting a new global benchmark.

First cross-state telesurgery

This pioneering surgery was not the only one of its kind.

In a separate case, a woman in Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh, who required advanced robotic surgery for urinary leakage following a hysterectomy, was also treated remotely by Dr Chandramohan.

Since local surgeons were not trained in the necessary robotic procedure, the team at Preeti Hospital stepped in. The first-ever cross-state telesurgery for this condition took an hour and 20 minutes and proved that distance is no longer a barrier to receiving specialised medical care.

Future of medical care is making connections

According to Dr Chandramohan, the success of these surgeries demonstrates the transformative potential of combining robotic technology with high-speed connectivity.

He explained that a single surgical console could eventually be linked to up to ten robots simultaneously, enabling expert surgeons to assist or mentor local doctors in various locations. This not only expands access to life-saving procedures but also serves as a crucial training tool for medical professionals across India.

These landmark achievements were a result of the collaborative effort of a dedicated team, including doctors, engineers, and hospital staff, whose collective expertise made these seemingly impossible remote operations a reality.