R ARIVANANTHAM
CHENNAI, APR 8
GEM Hospital, India’s premier centre for gastroenterology and laparoscopic surgery, has redrawn the map of surgical possibility. On Wednesday (April 8, 2026), it has announced successful completion of the country’s first dual-console long-distance robotic telesurgery — a procedure in which a lead surgeon in Vapi, Gujarat, and a supporting surgeon at the patient’s bedside in Chennai operated in real-time, simultaneously, across a distance of approximately 1,500 kilometres.
- 1,500 km Apart, One Operating Table: GEM Hospital Performs India’s First Dual-Console Long-Distance Robotic Telesurgery
- Chennai-based GEM Hospital uses Meril Life Sciences’ indigenously built Mizzo Endo 4000 to conduct a landmark robotic procedure with a lead surgeon operating live from Vapi, Gujarat
- India joins an elite global cohort of nations capable of collaborative remote surgery — and does it with a homegrown platform
- A 23-year-old with severe, medication-resistant GERD gets a life-changing Robotic Fundoplication — and walks out within days
- Unlike all prior telesurgeries in India, this was a dual-console operation: remote expert and bedside surgeon worked in real-time unison, not in isolation
- From proof-of-concept to policy potential — a technology that could one day deliver specialist surgical care to India’s most underserved geographies
The operation was performed on a 23-year-old suffering from severe, persistent vomiting and Gastro-Esophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) that had resisted all medication. She required a Robotic Fundoplication — a procedure in which the upper part of the stomach is wrapped around the lower oesophagus to reinforce the anti-reflux valve. She was discharged within days and is recovering well.
The platform at the heart of this milestone is the Mizzo Endo 4000, an advanced robotic system developed by India’s own Meril Life Sciences — the first such system deployed in South India.
The broader vision is unmistakable: specialist surgeons in metropolitan hubs guiding life-saving interventions in rural and remote India, in real-time, with a safety net of on-ground surgical support. For a country of 1.4 billion people with acute specialist scarcity outside its cities, that is not incremental progress. It is a paradigm shift.
The Dual-Console Difference
Previous telesurgery milestones in India followed a single-surgeon remote model: one expert, operating alone, from a distance. GEM’s achievement breaks that ceiling entirely. Its dual-console setup allowed the remote lead surgeon, Dr. P. Senthilnathan, to operate from Gujarat while a bedside surgeon in Chennai provided simultaneous support — sharing control of robotic arms, coordinating movements, and communicating in real-time.
This is not a minor technical distinction. It is the difference between a solo pilot and a co-piloted cockpit — one with redundancy, mentorship potential, and far greater safety margins.
The surgical team included Dr. P. Senthilnathan (lead, remote), Dr. Magnus Jayaraj, Dr. Pinak Dasgupta, Dr. Sreeram Seshadhri, Dr. Cibhi S.P., and Dr. Ashwini Krishnamurthy.
In Their Own Words
“This is not just a technological win, it is a democratisation of surgical expertise. GEM Hospital has always been at the forefront, becoming the first in India to deploy three different robotic platforms. By integrating the Mizzo Endo 4000, the first of its kind in South India, we are proving that the ‘best hands’ can now reach a patient anywhere, regardless of geography.” — Dr. C. Palanivelu, Chairman, GEM Hospitals.
“While previous milestones in telesurgery were restricted by a single-operator model, this dual-console technology changes the game entirely. We were able to collaborate across 1,500 kilometres with such seamless, real-time coordination that it felt as if we were standing side-by-side at the same table. This ability for a remote expert and an on-site surgeon to operate simultaneously is a true ‘boon’ for the surgical community, particularly for mentoring and complex multi-disciplinary cases.” — Dr. P. Senthilnathan, Lead Surgeon & Director, GEM Hospital Chennai.
“Telesurgery is evolving from a single-operator model to a collaborative surgical ecosystem. This dual-console capability ensures that expertise is not limited by geography while retaining the advantage of on-ground surgical support. It has immense potential for training, skill transfer, and improving surgical outcomes across regions.” — Dr. P. Senthilnathan, on the technology’s broader implications
Context: Where India Stands
Robotic surgery in India has grown steadily, but long-distance telesurgery — particularly with dual-console capability — remains nascent. The handful of telesurgeries reported nationally have predominantly followed the single-surgeon remote model. GEM Hospital’s procedure is among the first in India to demonstrate collaborative dual-console telesurgery over such a distance, and almost certainly the first in South India using an indigenously developed platform.
To underscore the system’s readiness, GEM doctors also conducted a live demonstration session showcasing near-zero latency — a critical technical prerequisite for any surgical application.
