SS Innovations has announced the first robotic cardiac surgery performed in the Western Hemisphere using its SSi Mantra 3 surgical robotic system.
Cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. Juan Zuniga performed the procedure, a robotic atrial septal defect closure, on June 8 at Interhospital in Guayaquil, Ecuador. According to the company, the successful operation marks a milestone and reflects its push to expand globally with a lower-cost alternative to existing systems.
“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. 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. We were very happy with the results in achieving a successful closure and the patient is recovering very well,” Zuniga said in a news release.
The procedure follows the SSi Mantra system’s clinical debut in Latin America and comes ahead of a planned FDA submission in July for a multispecialty indication, including cardiac, urology, gynecology, general surgery, and thoracic procedures.
The modular, multi-arm SSi Mantra 3 platform launched in 2024 with a focus on ergonomic design, 3D visualization and machine learning–enhanced workflow. The company has installed 37 systems so far and reports more than 750 procedures using the current-generation platform, including 70 cardiac cases. It says more than 3,800 procedures overall have been completed with no device-related mortality, injury or complications.
“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. It gives the surgeon the confidence that every stitch that is made with the platform is placed precisely and without complication,” Zuniga said.
SS Innovations began commercial sales in 2022 and aims to make robotic surgery more accessible, especially in emerging markets. The company said its system supports more than 40 types of robotic endo-surgical instruments and has been used in more than 100 types of procedures in India alone.
