Robotic-assisted surgeries have more precision, minimise the chances of human errors and reduce the time of recovery for patients and surgeons, said at a summit on Tuesday.

“The robot facilitates the surgical precision and eliminates most of the smaller human errors...while doing surgery. If you are well trained in robotic surgery, even a person who has not spent four or five decades doing surgeries but with minimum complications can do a reasonably good job on all occasions,” said Vikash Kapoor, cluster director-orthopaedics, Manipal Hospitals, Mukundapur cluster.

People who are experienced can use the robot even better, he said.

Manipal Hospitals East hosted the Robotic Summit 2026, commemorating National Technology Day and celebrating the role of advanced technology in modern healthcare.

“In knee and hip replacement, it is about millimetre precision, which is achieved by a robot, and it is documented so that we exactly know how much we have cut.... So what we planned is achieved by a robot,” said Kapoor.

The surgeon does the planning and feeds the data, which the robot assimilates. The robot’s arm then assists the surgeon in performing the surgery, said Kapoor.

The summit brought together patients who had undergone robotic surgeries alongside doctors, surgeons and medical experts to discuss the future of robotic-assisted care and precision-driven treatment.

“In India, currently, robotic surgeries have become accessible, affordable and are fast picking up,” said Arunava Roy, head of the department, gynaecologic oncology, Manipal Hospital EM Bypass and senior consultant, gynaecologic oncology, Manipal Hospitals Broadway and Salt Lake.

Robotic surgeries are commonly used in uterine cancer, cervical cancer and now also in advanced ovarian cancer, he added.

Surgical robots are completely controlled by the surgeons.

“It’s a myth that the surgery is performed by the robot. The second myth is that it is costly. There is an additional expense on the day of surgery because advanced technology is being used. However, if you compare two patients six months after surgery — one who underwent robotic surgery and another who had open surgery — the difference becomes clear. Patients who undergo open surgery often incur extra costs due to longer hospital stays, including expenses for beds, doctors, nurses, and antibiotics. Even after discharge, the recovery period may require follow-up visits and, in some cases, readmission,” said Roy.

Robotic cardiac surgery is redefining the future of minimally invasive heart care by combining surgical expertise with cutting-edge precision technology, said Kunal Sarkar, director, cardiovascular & thoracic surgery, Manipal Hospital, Mukundapur cluster.

“Procedures that once required large incisions and prolonged recovery periods can now be performed through smaller access points, allowing surgeons to perform delicate cardiac procedures with remarkable precision,”Sarkar said.