Announcement
Apollo Hospitals Pune issued a press release on July 29, 2026 announcing that it has successfully performed its first robotic‑assisted coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery using the da Vinci Xi Robotic Surgical System. The hospital highlighted that this minimally invasive option expands its advanced cardiac‑care capabilities.
Procedure Overview
The robotic‑assisted CABG is performed through a few small incisions rather than a conventional sternotomy, allowing the surgeon to operate with high‑definition three‑dimensional visualization and precise instrument control. The da Vinci Xi system is credited with minimizing surgical trauma and supporting improved clinical outcomes across a range of cardiac procedures. Eligibility criteria, as stated by the clinicians, require adequate heart and lung function, suitable vessel size, and the absence of major underlying illnesses. The procedure typically requires four to five hours of operating time.
Clinical Outcome of First Case
The inaugural patient was a 67‑year‑old man diagnosed with triple‑vessel coronary artery disease. The surgery was performed by Dr. Smruti Hindaria, Senior Consultant – Robotic & Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery, together with Dr. Bikash Sahu, Cardiac Anesthesiologist, and a multidisciplinary Cardiac Sciences and ICU team. The patient recovered smoothly and was discharged on the fourth day post‑operation. By contrast, conventional open‑heart bypass surgery generally entails an eight‑to‑ten‑day hospital stay. The hospital attributes the accelerated discharge to smaller incisions, faster recovery, minimal blood loss, an almost nil risk of infection, and earlier mobilization.
Subsequent Cases
Within a month of the first operation, six additional robotic‑assisted bypass surgeries were successfully completed at the facility. Each of these procedures also lasted four to five hours and enabled patients to be discharged earlier than the typical eight‑to‑ten‑day period associated with conventional surgery.
Leadership Comments
Dr. Manisha Karmarkar, CEO of Apollo Hospitals Pune, described the milestone as a reflection of the combined efforts of surgeons, anaesthesia teams, intensivists, nurses, and rehabilitation specialists, emphasizing the hospital’s focus on bringing advanced treatment options closer to patients while maintaining high clinical standards. Dr. Smruti Hindaria added that robotic‑assisted bypass surgery allows greater precision and reduced patient impact, but stressed that careful patient selection remains essential.
Hospital Capabilities
Apollo Hospitals Pune is a 400‑bed quaternary‑care institution offering a comprehensive suite of cardiac services, including preventive cardiology, interventional cardiology, structural heart procedures, and advanced cardiac surgery. As a unit of Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Ltd, the hospital also provides oncology, neurosciences, orthopaedics, gastroenterology, transplant sciences, and critical‑care services, supported by state‑of‑the‑art diagnostics, minimally invasive technologies, and a multidisciplinary care model.
Disclaimer
The release notes that the information is provided under an arrangement with PRNewswire and that PTI assumes no editorial responsibility.