In a medical milestone for Eastern and Northeastern India, two patients in Guwahati underwent successful remote robotic gallbladder removal surgeries performed by a surgeon nearly 1,950 km away in Gurgaon.
The operations, conducted at Swagat Super Speciality Hospital on Tuesday, used the Made-in-India SSI Mantra robotic system, with lead surgeon Prof. Subhas Khanna controlling the procedure remotely. Both patients are reported to be recovering well and fit for discharge within 24 hours.
“Convincing patients of something new and innovative is not easy. I am grateful to both my patients for the blind faith they placed in me as I was not physically present near them, but they trusted me and happily agreed to undergo the surgery,” Prof. Khanna told reporters on Wednesday.
The achievement marks the first remote robotic surgery of its kind in the region and underscores how tele-connectivity and surgical robotics could transform healthcare access in smaller cities and remote border areas.
Remote robotic surgery first gained global attention in 2001 with the “Lindbergh Operation,” when a surgeon in New York successfully removed a gallbladder from a patient in Strasbourg, France. Since then, adoption has been limited due to high costs and connectivity challenges, though recent advances in robotics, secure networks, and high-speed data transmission have revived interest.
“This step has far-reaching implications for Assam and the Northeast,” Khanna said. “It promises to deliver specialist surgical care to patients without the need for long and difficult travel, offers hope for soldiers and citizens in remote areas, and enables real-time collaboration between experts across geographies. Most importantly, it positions Assam as a pioneer in cutting-edge surgical technology in India.”
The IT backbone for the surgery was coordinated by Anivesh from Gurgaon with Binay and Amandip at the Guwahati hospital. On-site surgical support was provided by Dr. Areendam Barua, Dr. Pranab Das, and Dr. Supriya Choudhary, with anaesthesia care led by Dr. Kanineeka Das. Robotic scrub nurses and support staff ensured seamless execution.
Medical experts hailed the successful procedures as a significant leap forward, combining indigenous technology with advanced surgical expertise to expand access to world-class healthcare.
