What It Is
What Is Robotic
Cardiac Surgery?
Robotic cardiac surgery uses the Da Vinci Surgical System — the world’s most advanced surgical robot — to perform open-heart operations through 3–4 tiny incisions, each under 1 cm. The surgeon does not operate with their hands directly inside the chest. Instead, they sit at a console a few feet away, viewing a 10× magnified, 3D HD image of the surgical field and controlling robotic arms with sub-millimetre precision.
The robotic arms replicate every movement of the surgeon’s hands, filtered of any tremor, with 360° articulation — reaching angles impossible for human hands. The result is the most precise form of cardiac surgery available anywhere in the world.
KG Hospital is the only hospital in Coimbatore offering this technology for cardiac surgery. Patients travel from across Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, and other states specifically for robotic heart surgery at KG Hospital — it is simply not available anywhere else in the region.
Key Advantages Over Open Surgery
✓Incisions <1 cm — virtually no visible scar
✓Home in 2–3 days vs 7–10 days open surgery
✓Full recovery in 1–2 weeks vs 6–8 weeks
✓Significantly less blood loss and pain
✓Lower infection risk — smaller wound surface
✓Sternum (breastbone) is never cut or cracked
Procedures
Robotic Cardiac Procedures
at KG Hospital
KG Hospital performs the following cardiac procedures using the Da Vinci Surgical System. Each of these is performed through tiny keyhole incisions — without cutting or cracking the sternum.
01
Robotic Coronary Bypass (CABG)
Complete coronary artery bypass surgery performed robotically — including the India-first 6-graft robotic CABG, the most complex robotic bypass operation ever performed.
India First
02
Robotic Mitral Valve Repair
Repair of the mitral valve through keyhole incisions. Preserves the natural valve, avoids lifelong blood thinners, and delivers the fastest possible recovery.
03
Robotic Suture-less Aortic Valve Replacement
Replacement of the aortic valve without sutures — a technique that reduces surgical time and improves outcomes. KG Hospital performed this first in India.
India First
04
Robotic ASD Closure
Closure of atrial septal defect (hole in the heart) using robotic surgery — through the chest wall without any chest bone incision whatsoever.
05
Robotic Atrial Myxoma Removal
Removal of cardiac tumours (myxoma) from the heart chambers using robotic surgery — precise excision with minimal trauma and fastest recovery.
06
Aortic Valve — Babliak Technique
Aortic valve replacement using the innovative Babliak suture-less technique. KG Hospital was the first in India to perform this procedure.
India First
National Record
3 India Firsts in
Robotic Cardiac Surgery
KG Hospital has not just performed robotic cardiac surgery — it has pushed the boundary of what robotic heart surgery can achieve, recording three national firsts that no other hospital in India had performed before.
1
First in India: Robotic-Assisted CABG with 6 Grafts
The most complex robotic bypass surgery ever performed in India — six separate coronary arteries bypassed in a single robotic operation. Standard robotic CABG typically involves 1–3 grafts. KG Hospital’s surgical team achieved this nationally unprecedented procedure through sub-millimetre robotic precision that would be impossible with conventional instruments.
2
First in India: Robotic Suture-less Aortic Valve Replacement
Replacement of the aortic valve using a suture-less prosthetic valve deployed robotically — eliminating the need to sew the valve in place. This technique reduces the cross-clamp time (time the heart is stopped), reduces operative risk, and improves haemodynamic performance of the new valve. First performed in India at KG Hospital.
3
First in India: Aortic Valve Replacement via Babliak Technique
The Babliak technique is an advanced minimally invasive approach for aortic valve replacement developed in Europe, combining the benefits of suture-less valve technology with robotically enhanced precision. KG Hospital was the first hospital in India to adopt and successfully perform this technique — bringing cutting-edge European surgical innovation to patients in India.
★
KGH also holds 5 additional India firsts in non-robotic cardiac surgery
Including First in India Awake Open Heart Surgery, Transaxillary double valve replacement via MICS, and MICS mitral valve + CABG combined.
See all cardiac surgery firsts →
Patient Assessment
Who Is Suitable for
Robotic Cardiac Surgery?
Not every patient requiring cardiac surgery is a candidate for the robotic approach. A thorough pre-operative assessment — including 128-slice Cardiac CT, echocardiography, and coronary angiography — is performed to determine the optimal surgical approach for each individual.
✓ Ideal Candidates
Good general health and cardiac function
Requiring CABG, mitral valve repair, or ASD closure
Strong preference for minimal scarring and fastest recovery
Occupationally important to return to work quickly
No previous major chest or cardiac surgery
Normal or near-normal BMI and chest anatomy
→ May Need Alternative Approach
Severe obesity limiting surgical access
Previous chest surgery causing dense adhesions
Severely impaired lung function
Emergency or acute presentation requiring immediate access
Complex multi-vessel disease with very calcified arteries
Even if not suitable for robotic, MICS may still be possible
Every referral is reviewed individually by KG Hospital’s cardiac surgical team. If robotic surgery is not suitable for a particular patient, minimally invasive cardiac surgery (MICS) — with a 2–3 inch incision — is often an excellent alternative that still avoids the traditional sternotomy.
What to Expect
Your Robotic Surgery
Journey at KG Hospital
From your first consultation to discharge and recovery — here is what to expect at every step of robotic cardiac surgery at KG Hospital.
1
Initial Consultation & Referral Review
Your cardiac surgeon reviews your history, existing reports, and symptoms. If you are travelling from outside Coimbatore, a teleconsultation can be arranged before your in-person visit.
Day 1
2
Pre-operative Workup & Suitability Assessment
128-slice Cardiac CT, echocardiogram, coronary angiogram if needed, blood tests, and anaesthesia assessment. This confirms you are suitable for robotic surgery and allows precise pre-operative planning of the robotic approach.
1–2 days pre-admission
3
Surgery — Robotic Cardiac Procedure
You are placed under general anaesthesia. The surgical team positions 3–4 tiny port incisions. The Da Vinci robotic arms are inserted. Your surgeon operates from the console with 10× magnified 3D HD vision. Depending on the procedure, surgery takes 2–4 hours.
Surgery day — 2 to 4 hours
4
Cardiac ICU Monitoring
You wake up in the Cardiac ICU immediately adjacent to the operating theatres. Monitoring typically lasts 12–24 hours before moving to the cardiac ward. Most patients are sitting up and drinking fluids the same evening.
Night of surgery
5
Ward Recovery & Discharge
Most patients are discharged 2–3 days after robotic cardiac surgery. You receive a discharge summary, medication list, wound care instructions, and a follow-up appointment. Patients from outside Coimbatore are advised to stay locally for 5–7 days before travelling.
Day 2–3 post-surgery
6
Recovery & Follow-up
Most patients resume light daily activities within 1 week and are fully recovered within 1–2 weeks. A follow-up visit at 2 weeks and 6 weeks is standard. Cardiac rehabilitation is available for patients requiring structured supervised recovery.
1–2 weeks full recovery
Technology
The Da Vinci
Surgical System
The Da Vinci Surgical System is the world’s leading surgical robotics platform. Used in over 1,000 hospitals across the globe, it provides capabilities that go far beyond what human hands alone can achieve inside the chest cavity.
The system consists of a surgeon’s console, a patient-side cart with four robotic arms, and a high-definition 3D vision system. The surgeon’s hand movements at the console are translated in real time to the tips of the robotic instruments — scaled, filtered of tremor, and executed with sub-millimetre precision.
KG Hospital is the only hospital in Coimbatore with the Da Vinci system dedicated to cardiac surgery. The system is housed in a dedicated cardiac operating theatre equipped with all cardiac surgery support including heart-lung bypass perfusion and intraoperative TOE.
Da Vinci System Capabilities
✓10× magnified 3D HD vision — surgeon sees inside the chest in stunning clarity
✓360° articulated instruments — reaches angles impossible for human hands
✓Tremor filtering — sub-millimetre precision, no hand shake
✓Motion scaling — large hand movements become micro-movements
