AIIMS New Delhi inaugurated the Da Vinci Surgical Robot at its Skills, E-Learning and Telemedicine (SET) Facility. This is the first installation of the Da Vinci system for training at a government medical college in India.
Key Highlights
- AIIMS Delhi is now the only government medical institute in India with two surgical robots dedicated to training.
- Da Vinci Robot (Intuitive Surgical – new).
- Hugo Robotic Trainer (Medtronic – existing).
- The training facility offers simulators, trainers, and manikins for safe and supervised practice.
- Training to cover urology, gynaecology, general surgery, surgical oncology, and head & neck surgery.
- Earlier, surgeons had to go abroad and pay high fees for robotic surgery training. Now, training is accessible at AIIMS.
- Expected outcomes:
- Boost adoption of robotic-assisted surgery in India.
- Provide world-class training in a government institution.
- Improve surgical precision, reduce recovery time, and enhance patient care.
About Da Vinci Surgical Robot
- Developed by Intuitive Surgical (USA).
- Robotic-assisted surgical platform → enhances surgeon’s precision and control.
- Consists of:
- Surgeon console → controls robotic arms.
- Patient-side cart with 4 robotic arms (camera + surgical instruments).
- Vision system providing 3D, high-definition, magnified view.
- Globally used in urology, cardiac, gynaecology, oncology & minimally invasive surgery.
- Over 12 million procedures worldwide have been performed using the Da Vinci system.
Significance for India
- Brings world-class robotic training to government medical institutions.
- Reduces cost & dependence on foreign training.
- Strengthens India’s surgical education ecosystem.
- Helps create a pool of skilled robotic surgeons across multiple specialties.
- AIIMS Delhi emerges as a leader in robotic surgery training & innovation.
About AIIMS Delhi
- Established: 1956 under AIIMS Act, 1956.
- Founder: Rajkumari Amrit Kaur (India’s first Health Minister).
- Status: Institute of National Importance (INI).
- First Director: Prof. B. B. Dikshit.
- Current Director: Dr. M. Srinivas (since 2022).
- Known for: Medical research, tertiary care, and advanced medical education.
Robotic Surgery in India:
- First introduced in 2002.
- Popular in urology & gynaecology.
- Growing adoption in oncology & cardiothoracic surgery.
Other Robotic Systems in Healthcare:
- Hugo RAS System (Medtronic).
- Versius Robotic System (CMR Surgical, UK).
- Mako System (Stryker – used for orthopaedic surgeries).
Global Fact:
- First robotic surgery ever performed using AESOP robot (1990s, USA).
- Da Vinci system FDA-approved in 2000.