Dr. Sudhir Srivastava Inspires Cardiac Surgeons to Be Future-Ready by Upskilling Themselves in New and Emerging Technologies

Ahmedabad: Over the last few years, technological advancements have been making deep inroads in every sphere. New technologies are emerging almost by the day, not only making life simpler but also fuelling innovation and transformations. The onset of COVID-19 accelerated the pace of innovations in the medical space. New-age technologies like Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Robotics have been harnessed to their full potential to bring timely and qualitative medical care to patients.
While all these technological advancements are taking place at one end of the spectrum, medical practitioners, at the other end of the spectrum, should stay abreast of these developments, take a leaf of learning from these, shift gears, innovate, foresee what could be the next wave and equip themselves with skills to alleviate a patient’s suffering.  
Keeping this in mind, the Indian Association of Cardiovascular Thoracic Surgeons organised a 3-day summit for cardiac surgeons with the theme – Making Surgeons Future Ready.
Speaking at the IACTS Technocollege CME Summit in Ahmedabad, Dr. Sudhir Srivastava, Founder, Chairman & CEO of SS Innovations, popularly known as one of the early pioneers in robotic cardiac surgeries and the brain behind India’s first and only indigenously developed surgical robotic system – SSI MANTRA – said “As medical practitioners, in today’s time it is not enough to have theoretical knowledge and apply that knowledge to cure ailments of patients. The need of the hour is to go beyond this. Into the realm of discovery. To walk the road less taken. It was such a path which led to the birth of surgical robotic systems, a significant breakthrough in medicine, more so in surgeries and a great boon for both doctors and patients alike. For doctors, many complicated surgeries can be performed with precision and in areas where human hands can feel restricted. Better visualization helps the doctor sitting at the console to get a precise and up-close view of the surgery area, thereby enabling flawless and advanced precision surgeries. For the patient on the other hand, those undergoing a robotic surgery experience much less blood loss, shorter hospital stays, and lesser pain coupled with faster recovery time, and the patient is able to get back on his/her feet, up and running much faster”.
Dr. Srivastava added that the world is looking at India for ‘unique innovations’ in medical sciences and devices and encouraged the participants to be ‘one notch above’ citing the example of SSI MANTRA, India’s very own indigenously developed surgical robot, a prime illustration of a system that stands on par with global counterparts, yet affordable. “This is not the end. This is just the beginning”, he said.   
“Cardiac Surgeries are complex procedures. However, with robotic systems, the procedure is less traumatic for the patient. Unlike a traditional surgery which warrants the splitting of the sternum, robotic-assisted cardiac surgeries are minimally invasive, and the patient is able to return to normal activity within 1 to 2 weeks of the surgery. The very first cardiac surgery using SSI MANTRA robotic surgical system was conducted at Continental Hospital, Hyderabad, involving an IMA (Internal Mammary Artery) takedown procedure isolating the internal mammary artery from the chest wall. The artery was then grafted to the coronary artery beyond the blockage, bypassing the blockage and restoring blood flow to the heart. The success of the surgery is a testament to SSI MANTRA’s effectiveness and reliability in robotic cardiac surgery,” adds Dr. Srivastava
Rounding off, Dr. Srivastava said, “The future belongs to those who have an eye for new technologies and are willing to push the envelope. New-age technologies are dictating every sphere of our lives. As you stand at the threshold of becoming a surgeon, what you make out of it is entirely in your hands. There is no limit to what can be achieved”.
About Dr. Sudhir P Srivastava: 
SSI Mantra is the brainchild of Dr. Srivastava, a world-famous robotic cardiac surgeon, who is the Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Sudhir Srivastava Innovations Pvt Ltd (SS Innovations). Dr. Srivastava received his medical degree at J.L.N. Medical College in Rajasthan at the age of 21. Shortly thereafter, he left for the United States, where he started his post-graduate training and finally completed his residency in General and Cardiothoracic Surgery at the University of British Columbia Hospitals in Vancouver, Canada. In 2003, as the founding chairman, along with 10 other physicians, he founded Alliance Hospital, a centre of excellence in cardiovascular disease in West Texas, USA. While there, he performed the world’s first single vessel, 'Totally Endoscopic Coronary Artery Bypass' (TECAB). 
Dr. Srivastava is the only person in the world to have performed a quadruple TECAB on a beating heart while at the University of Chicago. In his career, Dr. Srivastava has performed over 1400 robotic cardiothoracic surgeries, including 750 beating heart TECAB cases that represent the largest experience in the world. It was his passion to expand the minimally invasive surgical techniques that drove him to teach and train over 350 surgical teams globally in robotic coronary bypass procedures, and it is that same passion that helped him lead the development of the SSI Mantra system after seeing the disparity in the global access to robotic surgery. According to him, this robotic surgery technology has attributes such as 3D vision, which can be magnified up to 10 times, with a true high-definition 1080p resolution, which provides an absolute and very precise depth of view. The machine filters any tremors the surgeon may have. The number of complications is significantly reduced. There is less trauma because the incisions are small, and they heal very quickly. There is no disruption of the muscles or the thoracic cage. So, the patients recover very quickly, and Blood loss is less. The hero of the theatre of robotic operation came back to India in 2011 with his family and bags to serve Motherland.