Bengaluru: Europe’s historic city of Ghent, Belgium will host the Vattikuti Foundation’s Annual Robotic Surgery Symposium, Humans at the Cutting Edge of Robotic Surgery between October 6-8.

Eminent surgeons from leading global healthcare providers including Harvard, Johns Hopkins, Mount Sinai and Stanford are expected to share their surgical innovations and expertise garnered over decades with surgeons from around the world. 

The Vattikuti Foundation has partnered with Belgium-based Orsi Academy to lead this academic symposium that promises to offer a multi-disciplinary discussion among a select group of internationally renowned robotic surgeons. 

The 3-day symposium with speakers and participants from 14 countries will focus on evidence-based procedures in the ever-growing field of robotic surgery.

“In keeping with the focus on innovation, the symposium will open with a session on ‘Why and how of surgical innovation’ by Dr Sherry M Wren, Vice Chair and Professor of Surgery, Stanford University, USA to be followed by a presentation on ‘State of the art surgical simulation’ by Dr Ahmed Ghazi, Director of Minimally Invasive and Robotic Surgery, John’s Hopkins University to underscore the need for surgical innovation for better outcomes”, said Mahendra Bhandari, CEO, Vattikuti Foundation and Director Robotic Research and Education, Vattikuti Urology Institute, Henry Ford Hospital, Michigan, USA.

Information Technology entrepreneur Raj Vattikuti, who founded Vattikuti Foundation in 1997 to evangelise minimally invasive robot-assisted surgery and to prepare a pool of robotic surgeons, will kick off the event and participate in the deliberations.

At a time when the promising field of artificial intelligence is making inroads in many walks of scientific research, industrial applications and healthcare, surgeons in the West are actively working on AI Applications in Robotic Surgery.

The symposium will have sessions dedicated to deep-learning strategies for automatic 3D virtual models, augmented reality guidance and AI assistance and error understanding. 

Alexandre Mottrie, CEO, Orsi Academy will be joined byPeter De Backer, ProfAnthony Gallagher, Dr Heloise Brackenier, Dr Ruben de Groote from The Academy with sessions on surgical training, ureteral reconstruction and new robotic systems.  

The symposiums will feature among the most experienced surgeons including urologist Peter Wiklund of Mount Sinai Hospital, USA, Dr Rajesh K Ahlawat, Medanta The Medicity, Dr Rajeev Kumar, AIIMS, India, and Prof Francesco Porpiglia of San Luigi Gonzaga Hospital, Italy.

Jeremy D. Richmon, Director of Robotic Surgery, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Harvard University will present innovations in thyroid surgery through remote access.  

Over forty surgeons from Belgium, Germany, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, the UK and the USA will deal with subjects ranging from kidney transplants in atypical situations, complex abdominal surgeries to liver transplants and colorectal surgery to fertility preservation surgery to thyroid surgery through remote access.  

The Vattikuti Foundation has chosen to infuse many young surgeons and Vattikuti Foundation fellows to present their surgical innovations at the symposium. They include Dr Karandeep Guleria, Max Super Specialty Hospital; Dr Jayanth Hulagi, Narayana Health System; Dr Kushal Agarwal, Aster Hospital, and Dr Aditya Kulkarni, Ruby Hall Clinic.  

Surgeons practising Robotic surgery in non-metro Indian cities presenting at the conference include Dr Priyadarshi Ranjan, Meliora Kidney Institute, Kharar, Punjab and Dr Subhash Khanna, Swagat Super Specialty Surgical Hospital, Guwahati, Assam.

Orsi Academy, which seeks to pass on evidence-based knowledge and expertise in robotic surgery, was set up at the initiative of Mottrie, a pioneer and leading expert in robot-assisted surgery procedures who wanted to tackle the lack of standardized evidence-based training.

The Vattikuti Foundation established the Vattikuti Urology Institute at Henry Ford Health in Detroit, Michigan in 1997 and has grown to become an international organization supporting excellence in robotic surgery through multiple channels.  

The Foundation’s prestigious international Fellowship program facilitates young surgeons becoming accomplished robotic surgeons by being matched with experienced mentors. The Vattikuti Foundation also awards surgeons who develop innovative procedures which improve patient outcomes using surgical robots.