PRESS RELEASE

Fortis International Centre for Robotic Surgery inaugurated by Shri Salman Khurshid Comprehensive robotic procedures in seven specialities World-renowned cardiac surgeon, Dr. Sudhir Srivastava, performs robotic by-pass surgery at Fortis Escort Heart Institute, with the new 'C-Port Flex-A system' for the first time in India

New Delhi, November 2, 2011:Fortis Healthcare (India) Ltd. and the International Centre for Robotic Surgery (ICRS) today introduced the first Fortis ICRS centre at Fortis Escorts Heart Institute. The Chief Guest, Shri Salman Khurshid, Hon'ble Union Law Minister, Govt. of India, inaugurated the state-of-the-art robotic surgery centre in the presence of Mr. Aditya Vij, CEO, Fortis Healthcare (India) Ltd. and Dr. Sudhir Srivastava, Founding Chairman and Managing Director, ICRS.
Fortis ICRS will offer comprehensive robotic surgery procedures in cardiac, thoracic, urology, gynaecology, general, head & neck surgeries and orthopaedics. The procedures will be introduced in a phased manner and performed by highly experienced robotic surgeons from the United States and other countries, along with their support teams, which will work in conjunction with surgical teams at Fortis. Fortis ICRS centres will be set up across Fortis hospitals in Mumbai, Gurgaon, Bangalore, Chennai, Kolkata as well as some tier II cities including Mohali and Jaipur.

Shri Salman Khurshid, Hon'ble Union Law Minister, Govt. of India, said, "Robotics involves minimally invasive surgical techniques and state-of-the-art medical equipment. I commend Fortis and ICRS for bringing this progressive medical technology and very specialized expertise to India. Robotic Surgery, in various specialities, will enable talented surgeons to offer the finest new healthcare techniques to patients that seek treatment in Indian hospitals." Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Aditya Vij, CEO, Fortis Healthcare (India) Ltd. said, "Fortis ICRS is a big step forward in our commitment to providing the latest in healthcare in terms of cutting-edge technology and best-in-class medical expertise. This centre will certainly set a new paradigm in robotic surgery in India. We are pleased to offer these world-class services in India." According to Dr. Sudhir Srivastava, Founding Chairman and Managing Director, ICRS, "Fortis ICRS will bring the enormous benefits of robotic surgery to patients in India. The centre will also train doctors at Fortis to perform these complex surgeries. Robotic procedures in India will be available at a fraction of the cost prevalent overseas."

Fortis ICRS will be staffed by a highly experienced team of some of the world's best robotic surgeons, with a collective experience of more than 15,000 surgeries. The centre will have an integrated approach to clinical services, training and research.
Dr. Srivastava, a pioneer in conducting robotic surgical procedures and an expert of international repute, performed a live single-vessel by-pass surgery using an anastomosis device for the first time in India. This 'C-Port Flex-A' system is designed to enable automated, reliable and reproducible connections of blood vessels during Robotic Beating Heart Totally Endoscopic Bypasss Surgery. Dr. Sudhir Srivastava, honored with the Bharat Gaurav Award, has performed

Benefits of robotic surgery for Patients:

Precise operation

Less trauma

Less pain

Less blood loss and fewer transfusions

Faster functional recovery

Lesser complications

Lesser risk of wound infections

Shorter hospital stay leading to

Advantages of using C-Port Flex-A System

Allow surgeons to position the device to create a secure connection even in the most difficult to reach areas of the heart

Facilitate minimally invasive CABG

surgery

Create compliant anastomosis in vessels as small as one millimeter in internal diameter

Used in either on- or off-pump CABG

procedures

more than 1200 robotic cardiothoracic surgical procedures, more than any other surgeon in the world.
Robotic Surgery is the most advanced form of minimally invasive surgery and typically performed through small (fingertip size) incisions, or operating ports, rather than large incisions, resulting in potentially shorter recovery times, fewer complications, reduced hospitalization costs and reduced trauma to patients.
Fortis has strong competencies in the fields of Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS), laparoscopic and robotic surgery, with several hospitals offering specialized medical services in these advanced clinical areas. Fortis Escorts Heart Institute, New Delhi was one of the first hospitals in India to acquire the da Vinci® Surgical System and offer the robotic option to its cardiac patients.

About Fortis Healthcare (India) Limited

Fortis Healthcare (India) Limited is committed to clinical excellence and patient-centric healthcare, which is manifest in hospital design, patient services, medical programmes and the compassionate approach of medical and non-medical hospital staff. Fortis commissioned its first hospital in 2001 at Mohali, near Chandigarh, and has expanded its operations to become a network with a capacity of over 10000 beds capacity across 66 hospitals. The Fortis network has a large number of international accreditations, including four JCI (Joint Commission International) and 10 NABH (National Accreditation Board for Hospitals) certifications. The network's capability covers multi-speciality hospitals and super-speciality centres that provide tertiary and quaternary healthcare to patients in the major medical specialities.

About International Centre for Robotic Surgery (ICRS)

The International Centre for Robotic Surgery (ICRS) is the operating entity and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sudhir Srivastava Medical Innovations PVT LTD (SSMI). ICRS is dedicated to bring the advanced robotic surgery techniques to India. Through ICRS, 20 highly-skilled and some of the most experienced robotic surgeons in the world have joined hands to benefit patients in India. For more information, please visit: www.indiaroboticsurgery.com