FICCI Heal 2022: Intuitive India unveils first of its kind robotic-assisted surgery experience center

New Delhi: Intuitive Surgical, a global technology leader in minimally invasive care and the pioneer of robotic-assisted surgery (RAS), unveiled a first of its kind initiative to familiarize healthcare professionals to robotic-assisted Surgery. The programme called ‘Xi experience centre’ was unveiled at the FICCI Heal conference in New Delhi.

Intuitive India has set up this experience centre as a part of their commitment to enhance the surgical ecosystem in India. This programme aims to familiarise the medical fraternity with robotic-assisted surgery, its features, and clinical applications as robotic-assisted surgery has been more effective for soft-tissue surgeries, which require more precision.

Commenting on the unveiling of Xi Experience centre, Mandeep Singh Kumar, VP & GM of Intuitive India, said, “It is our vision to equip more and more healthcare professionals to use advanced surgical technologies for better patient outcomes, especially in cancer care and other complex surgeries. Though there has been a continuous increase in the adoption of Robotic Assisted Surgery (RAS) in the recent past, there is a need for more surgeons to take up such tech advancements to cater to the ever-growing need. This initiative has been thoughtfully curated to engage with healthcare professionals (HCPs), equipping them with knowledge on robotic-assisted surgery (RAS), its clinical applications, and its positive impact on patient outcomes.”

As a part of this initiative, Intuitive has formulated a comprehensive programme to ensure extensive hands-on learning for the surgeons. This centre is equipped with Intuitive’s latest Da Vinci Xi technology, and other state of the art facilities such as wet lab. This centre also demonstrates advanced technologies for real-time visual assistant, dual grip technology, and suturing & simulation exercises. Intuitive’s robotic-assisted surgery simulator, SimNow is also used at the Xi Experience centre. Surgeons and residents can use SimNow to get familiar with the robotic-assisted procedures.

Commenting on this initiative, Dr. Anup Kumar, Professor and HOD Urology, Robotics and Renal Transplant, VMMC and Safdarjang Hospital, New Delhi, said, “We appreciate Intuitive for having the vision to support medical professionals in implementing new technology that will eventually fill the gap caused by the rising disease burden in India. In India, the growing burden of non-communicable diseases like cancer is the major cause of morbidity and mortality, posing great challenges in its prevention and control. Hence it is imperative to understand the issue at hand in a holistic way and propose an action plan that attempts to correct the gaps and comprehensively addresses the cancer care challenges in the country.”

“I feel that this experience centre would be one of the finest platforms for the surgeon community, which is eager to adopt cutting-edge surgical technologies to better serve their patients. With this initiative being launched, I believe that the voluntary participation from the surgeons will testify to the need for such training programs in their own personal and professional development. This will help in creating an active pool of aspiring robotic surgeons in the country,” Dr Kumar added.