AIIMS Thiruvananthapuram Performs Kerala's First Robot-Assisted Heart Surgery — Patient Home in 3 Days
By Dr Nirmala Rajan · 5 min read
["AIIMS Thiruvananthapuram performed Kerala's first fully robot-assisted open heart surgery using the da Vinci Xi Surgical System on a 58-year-old Kollam businessman who required triple-vessel coronary artery bypass grafting.","The procedure, led by Dr Rajesh Kumar N and his cardiac team, took 4 hours 20 minutes compared to the 6 to 7 hours typically needed for conventional bypass. The patient was extubated within 4 hours and discharged on day 3, walking independently.","Robot-assisted cardiac surgery allows for smaller incisions \u2014 three ports of 8mm versus a full sternotomy \u2014 with significantly reduced blood loss, lower infection risk and faster recovery. AIIMS Thiruvananthapuram is only the fifth government hospital in India to offer this capability.","For Gulf-based Keralites, this means advanced cardiac care is now available within the state. AIIMS TVM offers internationally comparable procedures at government hospital rates and the surgery is covered under PMJAY Ayushman Bharat for eligible patients."]
