The SSI Mantra 3 has been installed in 75 hospitals around the world so far. | Source: SS Innovations International
SS Innovations International Inc. today announced that it has completed its first robotic cardiac surgery in the Americas with its SSi Mantra 3 surgical robotic system.
On June 8, Dr. Juan Zuniga, a cardiothoracic surgeon at Interhospital in Guayaquil, Ecuador, became the first surgeon to perform a robotic cardiac surgery in the Americas and Western Hemisphere using the SSi Mantra 3. The surgery involved a robotic Atrial Septal Defect closure. This procedure repairs a hole between the upper two chambers of the heart.
“On the heels of SSi Mantra’s debut in Latin American robotic surgeries, we decided to leverage this advanced system in complex specialties, particularly in cardiovascular surgeries,” Dr. Zuniga said.
“The experience was good, this equipment was very easy to handle and manipulate, and the results were effective as we did a transesophageal echocardiogram to verify the complete closure of the communication between the two upper chambers of the heart,” he said. “We were very happy with the results in achieving a successful closure, and the patient is recovering very well.”
SSi Mantra aids minimally invasive procedures
Interhospital is the first hospital in South America to install the SSi Mantra. It has performed a variety of complex surgical procedures with the surgical robotic system since its installation.
“Because it is a minimally invasive procedure, the recovery is much faster, bleeding much less, and since it is done robotically, the manipulation of the tissues is much more precise, and so is the suturing,” added Dr. Zuniga. “It gives the surgeon the confidence that every stitch that is made with the platform is placed precisely and without complication.”
SS Innovations described the SSi Mantra as “a user-friendly, modular, multi-arm system.” Its technology features include:
- Three to five modular robotic arms
- An open-faced ergonomic surgeon command center
- A large 3D 4K monitor
- A touch panel monitor for all patient-related information displays
- A virtual real-time image of the robotic patient-side arm carts
- The ability to superimpose 3D models for diagnostic imaging
A vision cart provides the table-side team with the same magnified 3D 4K view as the surgeon to provide better safety and efficiency. The SSi Mantra uses more than 40 types of robotic endo-surgical instruments to support different specialties, including cardiac surgery. The system has also been clinically validated in India, said SS Innovations.
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SS Innovations surpasses 4,000 robotic surgeries
Last month, SS Innovations announced that SSi Mantra has been used in 4,000 surgeries. These operations spanned more than 100 different types of surgeries without any complications, injuries, or mortalities.
The Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based company noted this included approximately 215 cardiac surgical procedures. Six of these were successfully performed via telesurgery across India with the SSi Mantra 3 surgical robotic system.
The Robot Report previously discussed SS Innovations’ telesurgery strategy with Dr. Vishwa Srivastava, chief operating officer and chairman of the board.
SS Innovations said it has developed systems to make robotic surgery affordable and accessible to a larger segment of the global population. The company’s product range includes its proprietary SSi Mantra and its comprehensive suite of SSi Mudra instruments, which support a variety of surgical procedures.
The company released its latest system, the SSi Mantra 3, in July 2024. The system received regulatory approval for remote surgery and teleproctoring from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO). This opens the door for remote surgeries and medical education.
In May 2025, SS Innovations revealed plans to submit a de novo classification request to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the system.
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