Indian Surgeon Leads Sri Lanka’s First Live Robotic Surgery Workshop at Kings Hospital, Colombo

A CORRESPONDENT

NALBARI: Prof. Subhash Khanna, Chief of Minimal Access, GI and Robotic Surgery at Swagat Super Speciality Surgical Institute, Guwahati, played a key role in a landmark development in Sri Lanka’s surgical field by conducting the country’s first live robotic surgery workshop at Kings Hospital in Colombo.

Prof. Khanna was invited as international faculty for the pioneering workshop, organised by Kings Hospital as part of the launch of its robotic surgery programme using the Indian-developed SSI Mantra Surgical Robotic System. Before conducting the live procedures, Prof. Khanna was formally registered with the Sri Lanka Medical Council, fulfilling the regulatory requirements for an international surgeon to operate in the country. The workshop was organised under the leadership of Prof. Bawantha Gamage, president-elect of the College of Surgeons of Sri Lanka. Nearly 65 surgeons and surgical trainees from different parts of Sri Lanka attended the academic and live operative sessions.

During the programme, Prof. Khanna conducted several live robotic procedures, including a robotic bilateral TAPP groin hernia repair performed with Prof. Bawantha Gamage. He also performed a robotic TAPP repair for a recurrent inguinal hernia in a patient who had previously undergone open surgery. Another major highlight was a robot-assisted cholecystectomy, described at the event as Sri Lanka’s first such procedure. The live operative programme provided participating surgeons and trainees with an opportunity to observe advanced robotic surgical techniques and understand their practical application in minimally invasive surgery.

The international faculty also included Prof. Chelliah Selvasekar and Prof. Jim Khan from the United Kingdom, along with N. Venkata Jayanthi from the UK. They participated alongside leading Sri Lankan surgeons in academic discussions and operative sessions. The workshop was followed by a formal ceremony marking the launch of Kings Hospital’s robotic surgery programme. Dr Sudhir Srivastava, founder, chairman and CEO of SS Innovations, delivered the keynote address and formally handed over the Indian-developed SSI Mantra Surgical Robotic System to Kings Hospital.

Speaking on the occasion, Prof. Khanna described the programme as an honour and said it marked the beginning of a new chapter in robotic surgery in Sri Lanka. As founding president of the Association of Robotic and Innovative Surgeons, India, he assured Sri Lankan surgeons of continued support through teaching, training and academic programmes.

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