AS Guyana marked its 60th Independence Anniversary on Tuesday, the country also marked a historic breakthrough in healthcare, having successfully facilitated the longest-distance telesurgery procedure using advanced robotic technology.
President Dr Irfaan Ali made the announcement on Tuesday during a press conference, stating that the achievement signalled the country’s intention to become a regional leader in modern healthcare and medical training.
“At 6am, the team performed a coronary artery bypass graft,” the President announced.
He explained that the surgery was remotely conducted by internationally renowned cardiac surgeon Dr Sudhir Srivastava, who operated remotely from Guyana on a patient located in India using the SSI Mantra 3 robotic surgical system.
According to the President, the procedure covered an estimated distance of approximately 20,000 kilometres, making it “the longest-distance telesurgery ever completed in the world.”
He noted that the accomplishment was not simply about making history, but about creating a healthcare system that would benefit Guyana and the wider Caribbean.
“When we embarked on this journey of robotic surgery, we invested not only in the technology, but also in the training,” President Ali said.
President Ali explained that Guyanese medical teams were sent to India for specialised instruction and that Guyana would now establish an international training hub for robotic surgery in collaboration with the SSI Mantra ecosystem.
He said that the initiative would allow Guyana to serve as the hub for robotic surgery and care within the Caribbean, while extending training opportunities to regional healthcare professionals.
Against this backdrop, Dr Ali said the country had acquired some of the most advanced robotic surgical technology available globally, describing the investment as a major leap forward for Guyana’s healthcare sector.
Adding to this, Head of Medical Services and Cardiology at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation, Dr Mahendra Carpen, described the development as a transformational moment for cardiac care in Guyana and the wider region.
He stated that cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death worldwide and throughout the Caribbean, with many patients requiring bypass surgery for severe blockages.
Conventionally, he said, bypass surgery involves opening the chest through the sternum, resulting in longer recovery periods, increased pain and extended hospital stays.
“This morning, we introduced a cardiac surgery approach using telerobotic surgery where, instead of opening the chest straight down the middle, fine tubes were inserted between the rib spaces,” Dr Carpen said.
He said that robotic-assisted procedures significantly reduce trauma to the body, shorten hospital stays and improve recovery outcomes for patients.
With this, he noted that patients undergoing traditional bypass surgery may spend at least seven days in hospital, while robotic procedures could reduce recovery periods to between three and five days.
“So, we’re saving cost, we’re saving time, but most importantly for patients, the discomfort is much less,” he said.
Robotic systems, he noted, allow surgeons to operate with enhanced precision and endurance.
“The robots don’t get tired,” he said. As such, he went on to add that the technology enables sustained exposure of delicate tissues during lengthy procedures while allowing surgeons to continue working efficiently.
Such surgeries, it was noted, can cost between US$35,000 and US$45,000 regionally, with prices increasing substantially further north.
Meanwhile, Minister of Health Dr Frank Anthony too noted that the achievement marks a new era of medicine in Guyana.
Dr Anthony said the successful completion of a robotic heart surgery on a beating heart over such a long distance demonstrated the strength and precision of the technology now available in Guyana.
“Because of this operation, that patient is alive and well, and that’s the power of what has happened here today,” he said.
This technology, Dr Anthony said, could eventually allow specialists based in Georgetown to operate on patients located at regional hospitals across the country, improving access to specialised surgical care.
He noted that robotic systems provide exceptional precision, allowing surgeons to clearly visualise even the smallest anatomical structures in high definition and three-dimensional imaging.
Against this backdrop, he noted that Guyana will be establishing a formal training and accreditation system in partnership with the Ministry of Health, the University of Guyana and the Post Graduate Medical Institute.
According to Dr Anthony, Guyana would become the only country in the region capable of offering fellowship-style robotic surgery training using the advanced systems that are now here.
