First-ever Spine Robot in the Telugu States

Ensures extreme precision in spine surgeries

KIMS Hospitals CMD Dr. Bollineni Bhaskar Rao

Enables placement of screws with millimetre-level accuracy

Head of Neurosurgery Dr. Manas Kumar Panigrahi

KIMS Hospitals CMD Dr. Bollineni Bhaskar Rao stated that their hospital has always been at the forefront of adopting the latest medical innovations from anywhere in the world. He was speaking at a programme held at a Novotel hotel in the city on the occasion of the launch of the Spine Robot introduced for the first time in the Telugu states.

Dr. Bhaskar Rao said spine-related surgeries demand the highest level of precision and until now, no hospital in the Telugu states had used robotic technology for such procedures. By introducing this spine robot for the first time, KIMS Hospitals has ushered in a new era in spine surgeries, he added. Earlier, Chief Robotic Joint Replacement Surgeon Dr. Anne Sai Lakshman welcomed the guests attending the programme.

Later, Senior Consultant Neurosurgeon and Head of the Neurosurgery Department at KIMS Hospital, Dr. Manas Kumar Panigrahi, explained that this spine robot, manufactured by US based Medtronic, will be installed at KIMS Kondapur Hospital. During surgery, a CT scan is taken and fed into the robot, which allows surgeons to pre plan the placement of screws and the extent of bone cutting required. The robot then fixes the screws with 99.9% accuracy. As a result, there is virtually no risk of screws touching adjacent nerves or causing nerve damage during surgery, ensuring complete recovery for patients, he said.

KIMS Sunshine Hospital MD and Chief Joint Replacement Surgeon Dr. AV Gurava Reddy said that robotic systems had earlier helped achieve complete accuracy in knee replacements and other surgeries. By now introducing robotic technology into spine surgeries as well, KIMS Hospitals has created a new chapter in medical history, he remarked.

Consultant Minimally Invasive Spine Surgeon at KIMS Kondapur, Dr. K. Srikrishna Chaitanya, said robotic surgery is especially beneficial for treating spine-related problems in children, including spinal deformities such as hunchback. Such surgeries in children demand absolute precision, which is reliably achievable with robotic assistance, he noted.

Consultant Neurosurgeon and Minimally Invasive Spine Surgeon at KIMS Hospital, Dr. BV Savithr Sastry, said robotic spine surgery is currently available at only four or five centres across India, and none in Telangana or Andhra Pradesh. Introducing this surgical robot at KIMS Kondapur Hospital for the benefit of patients is a matter of great pride, as it enables delivery of the highest standards of medical care, he said.

During the programme, Dr. Soumyajit Basu, Head of the Spine Surgery Department and Director of the Spine Fellowships Programme at Kothari Medical Centre, Kolkata, also spoke and congratulated the KIMS Hospital management for bringing such advanced technology to the Telugu states.

Finally, KIMS Kondapur Hospital Regional Medical Director Dr. Sudheer Vinnamala proposed the vote of thanks.