In a significant leap for healthcare in eastern India, AIIMS Bhubaneswar has unveiled plans to introduce state-of-the-art robotic surgery within its paediatric surgery department. The announcement was made by the institute's executive director, Dr. Ashutosh Biswas, on Wednesday.
Blending Patient Care with Futuristic Expertise
Dr. Biswas stated that the core objective of this initiative is to merge superior patient care with the cultivation of advanced surgical skills for the future. To facilitate this, the institute is procuring a dual-console surgical robotic system. This advanced setup will allow for supervised learning, where one surgeon can perform an operation while another mentors or assists from the second console in real-time.
The training programme for this robotic surgery will be comprehensive. Medical staff, including postgraduate students and senior and junior residents, will begin with simulation platforms. These platforms provide a risk-free environment to practice everything from basic safety protocols to intricate surgical procedures. Trainees will then advance to assisting at the bedside before gaining hands-on experience in the operating theatre under a structured, real-time guidance system.
A Landmark Achievement in Liver Transplants
Alongside the announcement on robotic systems, AIIMS Bhubaneswar also celebrated a major milestone in complex care: the successful completion of its first liver transplant on December 20. The surgery was conducted with expert guidance from Dr. Vinayendra Pamecha of the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS) in New Delhi.
The life-saving procedure involved a 30-year-old man from Pipili who donated a portion of his liver to his 37-year-old brother. Dr. Biswas reported that the recipient is recovering well. The donor, the patient's younger brother, also recovered smoothly and was discharged earlier in the week.
The complex surgery, which lasted approximately 14 hours, was performed by a team of over 50 medical professionals. The effort was led by the surgical gastroenterology department under Dr. Brahmadatta Pattanaik, along with Dr. Tanmay Datta and Dr. Sunita Gupta.
Meeting a Growing Regional Demand
This successful transplant highlights the growing need for such advanced procedures in the region. The hospital has observed increasing demand for liver transplants from patients across Odisha and neighbouring states. Reflecting this need, the institute's liver transplant outpatient department (OPD), which operates every Tuesday afternoon, has already attended to more than 200 patients in the current year, 2025.
The dual developments—the forthcoming robotic surgery programme and the proven capability in organ transplantation—signify AIIMS Bhubaneswar's rapid evolution into a hub for high-end, multi-speciality medical care and innovation in Eastern India.
