Narayana Health launches Robotic surgery training program for the

nation with support from Infosys Foundation

Sets up training programs to train an experienced surgeon as a Robotic Surgeon
World is on the threshold of a major transition from laparoscopic surgery to robotic
surgery: Dr. Devi Shetty

Bengaluru, Thursday, August 11, 2016: Narayana Health headquartered in Bengaluru has launched the
Institute of Robotic Surgery supported by Infosys Foundation at its flagship unit at Narayana Health City.
The da Vinci Robotic Surgical System will be used primarily for prostate, kidney, gynecological, colorectal
and select head & neck cancer surgeries.

Symbolically unveiling the plaque, signifying the launch of ‘Infosys Institute of Robotic Surgery’, Mrs.
Sudha Murthy, Chairperson - Infosys Foundation said, “The need to adopt and continually update
treatment protocols that reduce errors is crucial for a country like India, which sees high patient volumes
and a wide spectrum of complex diseases. Robotic surgery, with its high degree of precision and faster
recovery time, has the potential to address this efficiently. Our partnership with Narayana Health,
incontestably a pioneer in delivering world-class healthcare, is aimed at encouraging rapid adoption of
robotics in healthcare in India. Through this endowment, we also intend to provide impetus for further
research in this area, and enable the masses to reap the benefits of affordable and high-quality
treatment.”

Technique of surgical intervention on the human body is undergoing dramatic change. It took over 30
years for laparoscopic surgery to replace open abdominal operation. “World is on the threshold of a
major transition from laparoscopic surgery to robotic surgery”, said Dr. Devi Shetty, Chairman –
Narayana Health. Robotic surgery has proved that inaccessible areas of the human body like deep in the
pelvis where a prostate surgery needs to be done for a patient with cancer of the prostate can easily be
accessed. Robotic surgery has proven beyond doubt its supremacy. “It is a matter of time before most
procedures on the human body will be done better with the robotics. However, for the large scale
technical adoption of robotic surgery major hitch is the surgeon’s skill”, informed Dr. Shetty. Today
surgical robots are available in very few centers across the world and the training program to train an
experienced surgeon as a robotic surgeon is expensive and inaccessible.

Explaining further on the need for such training programs, Dr. Devi Shetty said, “Infosys Foundation
always believed in the power of technology to transform the world and address the human sufferings.
With that objective, Infosys Foundation donated ‘da Vinci Surgical Robot’ to develop Infosys Institute of
Robotic Surgery to train robotic surgeons for the future. The philosophy of creating the institution is to
train any surgeon with a passion to learn robotic surgery and certify them to start robotic surgical
program in different parts of the country. NH Foundation along with Infosys Foundation strongly
believes that this is the only way robotic surgery services will be available to the common man of this
country”.

Explaining the learning curve, Dr. Saurabh Bhargava, Head of Urology Department, Consultant Urologist
and Uro-Onco Surgeon at Narayana Health City said, “Our training program is mentor-based rather than
building patient base to have a learning experience. We have acquired skills, so that we have
competence to train others, that’s what needs to be done. So the learning experience takes place with a
mentor in place at Narayana Health”.

All surgeons have to undergo a formalized mentorship program. The Robotics team has been through an
extensive clinical education, training and preparation period. The training is provided in a phased
manner. Phase 1 includes basic training explaining the concepts, technology, features and
functionalities. The operating surgeon has to first understand the technical aspects of its work, how to
set it up, how each part works and its role. Then the surgeon attends a simulator workshop and
practices on mannequins, followed by a period of observation. Then with a mentor in place the surgeon
begins with simple techniques and then gradually moves on to more complex surgeries.

Using the da Vinci robotic surgery system, surgeons operate through just a few small incisions. The da
Vinci System features a magnified 3D high-definition vision system and tiny wristed instruments that
bend and rotate far greater than the human wrist. As a result, da Vinci enables surgeons to operate with
enhanced vision and precision. Benefits to the patient include smaller incisions that lead to less stress on
the body, reduced chances of infection and faster recovery times post-surgery.
Highlighting the benefits of the da Vinci Robotic Surgery System, Dr. Saurabh Bhargava, said, “The access
to the organ of interest can be done with key-hole procedures, but the robotic arms and instruments
can be moved in such a manner that mimics your hand; compared to a surgeon’s hand, the robotic arm
gives far greater flexibility and access while performing surgery. In Robotics surgery, the instrument’s
arms are so well designed that you can maneuver in any direction to reach the access point with
precision, so the results are functionally much better because you get a clear view”.

Surgeons use a computer-controlled robot to assist them in certain surgical procedures. There are
around 15 types of surgeries that can be performed using Robotics technology. At Narayana Health City
the da Vinci Robotic Surgery System is installed in a dedicated operating room with dedicated and well-
trained surgeons, assistants and staff exclusively for Robotic Surgery capable of performing complex
surgeries in Urology, Gynecology, Gastrointestinal surgeries, General Surgery and various types of
cancer treatments.

“Robotics surgery is an amalgamation of open surgery and laparoscopic surgery. Use of the da Vinci
system raises the standard of care for complex surgeries - translating into better care and numerous
benefits for our patient, which is ultimately our purpose for utilizing this technology,” said Dr.
Ashwinikumar D. Kudari, Senior Consultant, Surgical Gastroenterologist, Narayana Health City.

da Vinci Robotic Surgery System enables surgeons to perform even the most complex and delicate
procedures through very small incisions with unmatched precision.

About Narayana Health City, Bengaluru:

NH Health City is located in Bommasandra, Bengaluru, which comprises of Narayana Institute of Cardiac
Sciences (NICS), a superspecialty hospital for cardiology
and cardiac surgery, and Mazumdar Shaw Medical
Center (MSMC), a multispecialty hospital for cancer
care, neurology and neurosurgery, nephrology, urology, Benefits of Robotic Surgery:
 Operating time is reduced
and houses what we believe, is one of India's largest
 Less Blood Loss leading to
bone marrow transplant units. NH Health City operates
lesser Blood Transfusion
a stem cell bank.
 Faster recovery & shorter
hospital stay
About Narayana Health:
 Low rate of Complications
With all super-speciality tertiary care facilities that the  Small incisions for minimal
scarring
medical world offers, Narayana Health is now a one-
 Gives better vision for
stop healthcare destination for all. From the first facility
surgeons to see the structure
established in Bengaluru with approximately 225
more clearly and thereby
operational beds in 2000, our Company has grown to 54 perform the surgery more
facilities (which includes 53 facilities in India and 1 efficiently.
facility in the Cayman Islands operated by our Company's associate company, Health City Cayman
Islands Ltd.) with 5300 operational beds with a potential to reach over 6600 beds. Our Company has a
network of 23 hospitals (multispeciality and superspeciality healthcare facilities which provide tertiary
care services), 7 heart centres (superspeciality units which are set up in a third party hospital) and 23
primary care facilities (including clinics and information centres), across a total of 18 cities in India. (For
details, visit www.narayanahealth.org)

About The Infosys Foundation:

Established in 1996, the Infosys Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Infosys and has the sole objective
of fulfilling the social responsibility of the company by creating opportunities and working toward a
more equitable society. The Infosys Foundation has made effective strides in the areas of healthcare,
education, social rehabilitation, and the arts. The company contributes two percent of its profits
averaged over the past three years to the Foundation each year.

For further information, please contact:

media@nhhospitals.org