State-run Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology completes 1,000 robotic surgeries

The State-run Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology (KMIO) achieved a milestone by successfully completing 1,000 robotic surgeries. The first government hospital to adopt robotic technology, Kidwai procured the Da Vinci XI Robotic Surgical System in 2016 at a cost of ₹16.5 crore. 

The State-run Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology (KMIO) achieved a milestone by successfully completing 1,000 robotic surgeries. The first government hospital to adopt robotic technology, Kidwai procured the Da Vinci XI Robotic Surgical System in 2016 at a cost of ₹16.5 crore. 

Since then, the institute has been conducting close to 150 robotic surgeries every month. Overall, a total of 4,299 major surgeries were conducted in the institute in 2023 and 4,592 in 2024. Kidwai reports about 20% of the estimated 86,563 new cases in the population-based cancer registry (PBCR) of Karnataka.

The 1,,000 robotic surgeries have been conducted free of cost and include 22 surgeries for ESI and APL card holders and 14 for beneficiaries under SCSPTSP scheme. The institute has spent a total of ₹22 crore on the robotic surgeries so far, according to a press release.

Kidwai, recognised as the only super-specialty hospital offering extensive inpatient care, also houses Karnataka’s sole bone marrow transplant (BMT) unit, where both allogenic and autologous bone marrow transplants are being performed successfully. In September last year, bone marrow transplants touched the 100th mark in the institute.

Medical Education Minister Sharan Prakash Patil, who commended the achievement, said the institute offers advanced cancer treatment at affordable rates to patients. “Adopting innovative medical technologies has enabled Kidwai to deliver high-quality care promptly,” the Minister said.

Institute Administrator Naveen Bhat, who is also the State Mission Director, National Health Mission (NHM), said that the  robotic-assisted technology at Kidwai has helped in performing complex cancer surgeries with greater precision.

“Painless and infection-free surgeries can be performed in sensitive areas including the patient’s stomach through a robotic machine. In this method, precision surgeries are performed without any side effects and leads to faster recovery,” he said.