Dr Juan Zuniga, a cardiothoracic surgeon at Interhospital in Guayaquil, Ecuador, recently performed the first-ever robotic cardiac surgery in the Western Hemisphere. The procedure used the SSi Mantra 3 surgical robotic system by SS Innovations, an American company headquartered in Gurugram, marking a notable advancement in global healthcare and robotic surgery technology.
The operation involved the robotic closure of an atrial septal defect (ASD), a procedure used to repair a hole between the heart’s upper chambers. It was performed using minimally invasive methods. According to SS Innovations, this achievement demonstrates the system’s capabilities and potential to significantly impact cardiac care in underserved regions.
SS Innovations confirmed the successful outcome and recovery of the patient, while Zuniga emphasised the system’s precision, ease of use and clinical benefits. “The experience was good. This equipment was very easy to handle and manipulate,” he said.
He further noted that robotic technology enabled greater control and accuracy during surgery. “Because it is a minimally invasive procedure, the recovery is much faster, bleeding much less, and since it is done robotically, the manipulation of the tissues is much more precise, and so is the suturing.”
The surgery was conducted at Interhospital, the first facility in South America to install the SSi Mantra system. The system has already been used in a variety of complex procedures. It is part of SS Innovations’ ongoing efforts to expand access to advanced surgical robotics across Latin America, the United States, and Europe.
To date, at least 4,100 procedures have been performed globally using the SSi Mantra. SS Innovations develops surgical robotic technologies to make robotic surgery affordable and widely accessible. The company’s system features multiple robotic arms, a 3D 4K monitor, and over 40 specialised instruments, supporting its use across multiple surgical fields, including cardiac operations.
Last year, SSi Mantra received regulatory approval from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation for telesurgery and teleproctoring. The system then performed its first surgeries in India earlier this year and assisted in performing Indonesia’s first robotic cardiac surgery in November last year.
