Indore (Madhya Pradesh): In a groundbreaking moment for global medicine, the world’s first-ever transcontinental bariatric surgery was successfully performed—from Strasbourg, France to Indore, India, spanning over 8,500 kilometres without a second of lag.
The live robotic surgery was conducted from IRCAD, Strasbourg, during the Society of Robotic Surgery (SRS) Annual Meeting, where Dr Mohit Bhandari, a globally acclaimed bariatric surgeon, operated the indigenously developed SSI Mantra 3 robotic system to perform a gastric bypass on a morbidly obese, insulin-dependent diabetic patient at Mohak Bariatric and Robotic Surgery Centre, Indore.
The operation was completed in just 48 minutes on a patient who had a BMI of 50, was suffering from sleep apnea and coronary artery disease. Remarkably, the patient was able to stand and walk within hours after surgery.
This path-breaking feat was made possible through ultra-low latency communication and precise surgical coordination between teams in France and India. Dr Mohit Bhandari was on the robotic console in Strasbourg, while Dr Mahak Bhandari assisted the procedure patient-side in Indore. The visionary behind this mission, Dr Vinod Bhandari, played a pivotal role in bringing together advanced technology and global collaboration to make this dream a reality.
Simultaneously, another historic surgery took place using the same platform. Dr Sudhir Srivastava, founder and CEO of SSI Mantra, performed a remote ASD (Atrial Septal Defect) closure, a cardiac surgery, from IRCAD France on a patient at Mohak Bariatrics & Robotics in Indore.
These two transcontinental surgeries – one bariatric and one cardiac – are not just technological milestones but also symbolic breakthroughs that redefine the limits of modern medicine. They demonstrate that geography is no longer a barrier to surgical expertise, and the best care can now reach anyone, anywhere, in real time.
The success of these procedures is a matter of immense pride for India and a testament to the power of indigenous innovation, with the SSI Mantra 3 robotic system at its core.
