BLK-Max Super Specialty Hospital, in collaboration with its knowledge partner, Intuitive, has announced the launch of a dual console robot-assisted surgery fellowship training program in oncology for surgeons across India.

The fellowship is being launched to meet the demand for more trained Robotic-Assisted Surgery (RAS) surgeons and equip the next generation with the necessary skills.

The da Vinci dual console enables a surgical mentor to instruct while both the mentor and the trainee operate from a surgeon's console simultaneously.

The three-month fellowship program, led by Dr. Surender Kumar Dabas, aims to familiarize surgeons with robot-assisted surgery, covering aspects from OPD consultations to live operations, providing hands-on experience and focusing on technology, clinical applications, and benefits.

Commenting on this initiative, Dr Dabas said,

“Our motto with this fellowship is ‘Upskilling the future generation of surgeons’ and the core objective is to equip participants with the skills and expertise needed to confidently navigate the exciting world of robotic-assisted surgery (RAS). It is often difficult for surgeons to gain exposure to robot-assisted surgeries and what sets our fellowship apart is its immersive nature, providing participants with a deep and hands-on experience using advanced surgical systems like da Vinci. We hope that this initiative will influence many young surgeons in India to take-up robot-assisted surgery.”

Over a three-month period, the course will comprise three sections, providing exposure to a range of oncology cases in robotic surgery. It will include practice sessions on robotic port placement and docking, hands-on experience with a robotic simulator, active participation as an assistant in surgeries, and immersion in outpatient (OPD) to inpatient (IPD) settings. The training will use the state-of-the-art robot-assisted surgical system, da Vinci by Intuitive.