Announcement!

We are pleased to announce that:

The next Robotic Surgeons Council will be held on February 8-9, 2014

Check back on our site for details soon!

A New Cooling Technique for Kidney Stone Removal by the Vattikuti Urology Institute!

Urologists at the Vattikuti Urology Institute (VUI) at Henry Ford devised an unconventional technique to remove a staghorn calculi, or a large kidney stone with sharp, craggy branches, which can lead to disease or death if left untreated. The technique is called Robotic Anatrophic Nephrolithotomy or RANL, for short and is combined with a cooling procedure, referred to as ICE.

While using this procedure to remove staghorn kidney stones is a first, doctors from Henry Ford and the Muljibhai Patel Urological Hospital (MPUH) in Gujarat, India have used RANL on 3 patients without any complications. Researchers at the VUI and MPUH explain that the new procedure is “a safe, minimally invasive option that may be considered in patients with staghorn stones.”

Read more on our site!

Robotic Surgeons Council - A HUGE SUCCESS!

Robotic surgeons of various specialities and hospitals at RSC 2013

The Vattikuti Foundation sponsored a meeting of the Robotic Surgeons Council at the Hotel ITC Maurya.  Over 60 top Indian robotic surgeons participated in a packed, daylong symposium.  Nearly 20 hospitals were represented, and each provided an update on the progress being made in growing the use of the da Vinci surgical system.  Ideas on data sharing, proctoring, training and collaboration were discussed.

Vattikuti Foundation CEO, Dr. Mahendra Bhandari, told the elite gathering that the “Vattikuti Foundation’s intention is to provide a commonplace forum for multi-specialties, multi-institutional activities, and this is purely academic…”

Raj Vattikuti, Foundation president and founder, addressed the group by video, stating that “Our main focus is the quality," and he spoke of how the Foundation’s leadership in Urology has expanded into other disciplines.  He continued to share ideas on how to achieve higher quality and his hopes for the Robotic Surgeons Council:  “We have a great opportunity for India in terms of building this program… Most [importantly], this is not from the Foundation; it is a group you can really help to mold this program in India, and can be the best in the world.”

Stay tuned for more information and video footage!

News: A Robotic Phlebotomist in Action!

The Veebot system claims to be as accurate as a human phlebotomist when it comes to drawing blood! Check out this video to see how it works:

Visit our news section to learn more about Veebot and other advancements in robotics and healthcare!

Upcoming Vattikuti Foundation Event!

The Vattikuti Foundation is proud to host their 2nd Robotic Surgeons Council in New Delhi, India on August 18, 2013.



Please stay tuned for footage and news regarding the event!

Vattikuti Invitational 2013

June 17, 2013 was the 12th year of the Vattikuti Invitational, a premier charity event that benefits the cancer programs at Henry Ford Health System and Beaumont Health System. The event celebrates and builds upon the extraordinary generosity of Raj and Padma Vattikuti, whose exceptional gifts to each institution are funding cancer education, treatment and research programs at Beaumont's Vattikuti Digital Breast Diagnostic Center and Henry Ford's Vattikuti Urology Institute. Over the past eleven years, the Invitational has netted over $4.2 million for cancer care.

The 2013 Vattikuti Invitational featured a round of golf at the world-class championship course of Oakland Hills Country Club, site of the 2004 Ryder Cup Matches, 2008 PGA Championship and the 2016 US Amateur. The day's activities also included a tee-off breakfast, lunch, cocktails, strolling dinner and entertainment.

------

Practical Robotics Series: The Importance of a Robotic Team

Here is the FINAL video from the Vattikuti Foundation's new series: Practical Robotics. The series includes video coverage from the The Vattikuti Global Robotics 2012 Multispecialty Global Robotics Conference in New Delhi. 

The Importance of a Robotic Team video includes footage from several presenters.  They share some of their strongest reasons for supporting the need for a dedicated Robotic Operating Room Team.

***

We hope you enjoyed our compilation of the VGR 2012 conference. To view all of the videos from the series, be sure to check out our Practical Robotics Playlist on YouTube. For more videos regarding robotic surgery, check out the video repository on the VFRSI website!

Practical Robotics Series: Making Choices - Ideas from the Experts

Here is the next video from the Vattikuti Foundation's new series: Practical Robotics. The series includes video coverage from the The Vattikuti Global Robotics 2012 Multispecialty Global Robotics Conference in New Delhi. 

Robotic surgeons face choices about the number of robotic arms to use for some procedures. Sometimes, it can also be a difficult decision whether to open up a patient when complications occur. In Making Choices: Ideas from the Experts, we take different opinions from some of the top surgeons in the world to help you understand what the choices are.

Check back for the FINAL video in this series!

VFRSI: Who We Are

The VFRSI portal is dedicated to bringing together the institutions, professionals and patients with the objective of educating and mentoring the community in the field of minimally invasive surgery. The members of this network consisting of Institutions and Doctors contribute frequently to the portal making it a unique place for receiving and sharing a wealth of knowledge in the area of robotic surgery. The VFRSI portal gives doctors opportunity to view, participate and also contribute.


The mission of the Vattikuti Foundation is to develop worldwide centers of excellence dedicated to the practice of state-of-the-art robotic surgery and to innovate through collaboration with its global network of multispecialty institutes. These institutes will leverage their collective wisdom to provide a positive surgical experience that is affordable to patients from all of society.

Practical Robotics Series: Tips for Training

Here is another video from the Vattikuti Foundation's new series: Practical Robotics. The series includes video coverage from the The Vattikuti Global Robotics 2012 Multispecialty Global Robotics Conference in New Delhi. 

Dr. Mani Menon, Dr. Ronney Abaza, Dr. Jack Elder, Dr. James Peabody, Dr. Savitha Desai and more  share their thoughts on making the most for robotic surgery training in Tips for Training. The video contains great advice for surgeons and assistants interested in robotic surgery!

Keep checking the blog for more VGR footage!

Like, Follow, Subscribe and Share!

Vattikuti Foundation is present on a number of social media outlets. We would love to interact with you on the following sites:

Like us on Facebook: 

Follow and Tweet us @VattikutiRobotx on Twitter:
Follow @VattikutiRobotx

Subscribe to our YouTube channel:


Share our pages with your friends and fellow coworkers!

Practical Robotics Series: The Vattikuti Foundation's Focus on India

Here is continued footage from the Vattikuti Foundation's new series: Practical Robotics. The series includes video coverage from the The Vattikuti Global Robotics 2012 Multispecialty Global Robotics Conference in New Delhi. 

VGR 2012 opened with speakers outlining what some of the goals are for bringing robotic surgery to India. Shri Montek Singh Ahluwalia, the Deputy Minister of the Planning Commission of India, several leaders in the field of medicine and Raj Vattikuti shared their thoughts in the following video.

We still have many more videos to share! Keep checking back!

Practical Robotics Series: The Benefits of Robotic Surgery

Here is the next installment from the Vattikuti Foundation's new series: Practical Robotics. The series includes video coverage from the The Vattikuti Global Robotics 2012 Multispecialty Global Robotics Conference in New Delhi. 

The Benefits of Robotic Surgery is for surgeons who are considering robotic surgery. We hear from over a dozen men and women who rely on the da Vinci surgical robot regularly to perform procedures. In addition, the coverage includes remarks by some surgeons who once were opposed to using surgical robotics. 

We have more VGR footage to come!

Robotic Surgery News: Intuitive Surgical Beats Claims of Negligent Training Practices

Intuitive Surgical has won the first legal battle regarding the training of surgeons who use it's da Vinci surgical robot to perform minimally invasive surgery.  A jury in the state of Washington ruled that Intuitive was not negligent in the case of Fred Taylor, who was 67 when he underwent a radical prostatectomy, and died four years after. His estate was seeking $8.5 million dollars.  Scott Bildsten, the surgeon, was performing his first unassisted case robotically and decided that he had to convert to open due to complications.  Taylor's estate claimed that the surgeon had not been trained properly by Intuitive, and the results of the converted procedure caused severe blood loss, kidney failure, incontinence and impaired brain function.  The company pointed out that it warns surgeons not to operate on patients who are obese like Taylor, and that they are not responsible for the actions of surgeons who use their products.  The company is pleased with the trial results.  The surgeon, according to reports, has settled with the family confidentially.  There are 25 other cases pending across the United States.  At least one firm is actively trying to recruit new clients claiming the results from this case will have little effect on other lawsuits.

For more information about robotic surgery training and safety, please refer the Knowledge Repository Videos section and see all that the Vattikuti Foundation Robotic Surgery Institute has to offer.  We have dozens of robotic surgery videos from the pioneers and best in the world, all free to use.

Reports from Robotic Trends, QMed, Thomson Reuters and Bloomberg contributed to this story.  




Published by: RoboticTrends

Practical Robotics Series: Advice for Surgeons & Team Members

Here is the next video from the Vattikuti Foundation's new series: Practical Robotics. The series includes video coverage from the The Vattikuti Global Robotics 2012 Multispecialty Global Robotics Conference in New Delhi. 

Advice for Surgeons & Team Members is one of the first videos in the series.  It features comments and ideas from the presenters and participants. Included are: reasons for choosing the robot, safety and checklist ideas, anesthesia, communication, ideas for when complications occur and several other topics are addressed.

Keep checking the blog for more from this series!

Practical Robotics Series: Keeping Expenses Down

Here is the second installment from the Vattikuti Foundation's new series: Practical Robotics. The series includes video coverage from the The Vattikuti Global Robotics 2012 Multispecialty Global Robotics Conference in New Delhi. 

Keeping Expenses Down examines the financial aspect of robotic surgery. Making efficient use of the surgical robot can make the difference in a robotic surgery program being financially sound - or becoming a financial drain on a hospital. We have taken a few tips from leaders in the field and put them in this short video.

We have more videos to come from this series! Stay tuned!

Practical Robotics Series: Anesthesia Ideas

Here is the first video from the Vattikuti Foundation's new series: Practical Robotics. The series includes video coverage from the The Vattikuti Global Robotics 2012 Multispecialty Global Robotics Conference in New Delhi. 

In the Anesthesia Ideas video, we listen as an anesthesiologist and several surgeons describe the intricacies of anesthesia for certain robotic procedures. We also hear discussion about the challenges the surgical team members face and how a better working understanding helps everyone involved in the operating room.

Stay tuned for more videos from the series!

Dr. Mani Menon's Latest Award!

Our very own Dr. Menon was the recipient of the "Most Distinguished Physician Award" at the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin conference this past weekend in Chicago! There are currently 65,000 practicing Indian physicians in the U.S. Congratulations Dr. Menon!

Research Build Robots to Traverse Patients’ Internal Abdominal Walls

Source: National Geographic

Researchers at the University of Leeds were inspired by the feet of tree frogs to create a model for a surgical robot. The imitation of the tree frog feet will allow the robot to crawl inside patients’ bodies during keyhole surgery.

The designed robot will be able to move across the internal abdominal walls of a patient with an attached video device, allowing surgeons to be able to see what they are doing.

Professor Anne Neville, Lead researcher and Royal Academy of Engineering Chair in Emerging Technologies at the University of Leeds, stated, "Tree frogs have hexagonal patterned channels on their feet that when in contact with a wet surface build capillary bridges, and hence an adhesion force. It is the same kind of idea as a beer glass sticking to a beer mat, but the patterns build a large number of adhesion points that allow our robot to move around on a very slippery surface when it is upside down."

Further research will be done to reduce the size and weight of the designed prototype.

Published by: Robotic Trends

Introducing the Vattikuti Foundation Practical Robotics Series!

It was an exciting event.  Robotic surgeons from all over the globe met in New Delhi in January 2012.  The event: The Vattikuti Global Robotics 2012 Multispecialty Global Robotics Conference.  Over three days, topics from every specialty were discussed.  We have placed all of the video coverage of the conference on our website. 

Because there is so much material to cover, we have tried to condense it down into short, informative videos for you to view. If you want to explore further, just look up either the title or the surgeon on our Knowledge Repository search engine.

Videos will also be posted on our blog so stay tuned for updates!

Remarks from Mani Menon, Alexandre Mottrie, Indirbir Gill, Prokar Dasgupta, Didier DeCanniere, Ali Zamir Khan,  Sangeeta Khanna, Thomas Payne,  Ashok Mehta, Koon Rha, Savitha Desai and many other participants are featured.  Their insight will excite and inform you.  We hope that you will look further at all the videos our website has to offer!

There is a big focus in these videos on robotic surgery teams and how they need to communicate better.  Managing expenses, operating room dynamics, anesthesia are all important topics in some of these programs.   You don’t just hear about problems; you get solutions.  These are all available at the Vattikuti Foundation Website.

Thanks for your part in helping to improve lives through making minimally invasive surgery available to more people throughout the world!  Please share this information with your colleagues.

Sincerely,

The Vattikuti Foundation Videos Team

Vattikuti Foundation featured in Healthcare Executive Magazine

The Vattikuti Foundation was recently featured in the 2013 Anniversary Issue of Healthcare Executive magazine. In the article “Robots as Surgeons,” Dr. Lisha Ruparel discusses the history and progression of robotic surgery technology. Vattikuti Foundation is mentioned as the “front runner” in the field. The establishment of the Vattikuti Urology Institute at Henry Ford Hospital and other Vattikuti institutions are also mentioned. 

The following image is the cover from the anniversary issue of the magazine posted on the company's Facebook page:

Visit Hosmac's Facebook Page for more Healthcare Executive updates

Congratulations to Healthcare Executive Magazine for a successful year and thank you for your support!

3D printer helps save dying baby

6 year old, Kaiba Gionfriddo, was admitted to the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital at the University of Michigan after he had stopped breathing.  Chances of survival slowly dimmed as Kaiba was found to be suffering from bronchial malacia, a condition involving a rare obstruction in the lungs.

Doctors then tried the medical equivalent of a “Hail Mary” pass, reports say.

Doctors used a splint to carve a path through Kaiba’s blocked airway created on a 3D printer. A CT scan was used to determine the exact dimensions of Kaiba’s lungs in order to construct a computer model for the splint.  Doctors explained that that the process of creating a model on the computer is very quick. The splint was surgically attached to Kaiba’s collapsed bronchus and results were seen moments after.

"When the stitches were put in, we started seeing the lung inflate and deflate," Dr. Glenn Green, associate professor of pediatric otolaryngology at the University of Michigan, stated. "It was so fabulous. There were people in the operating room cheering."

The splint was engineered from a powder called polycaprolactone, or PCL, which is often used to fill holes in the skull after brain surgery. It will degrade over time and hopefully leave behind a fully functioning lung.

For the full article, visit http://www.cnn.com/2013/05/22/health/baby-surgery/index.html?hpt=he_t5