A robot maker is claiming it can now offer a technologically advanced system that is both affordable and accessible.
Surgical robot developer SS Innovations International announced that the first robotic cardiac surgery in the Americas using its SSi Mantra 3 system was performed at Interhospital in Guayaquil, Ecuador.
The robotic atrial septal defect closure procedure repaired a hole between the upper two chambers of the patient’s heart.
The procedure marks a move into cardiovascular surgery at the Ecuadorian hospital, the first in South America to install the SSi Mantra robot.
The system has been used to perform other complex surgeries at the hospital since its installation, the company said.
Juan Zuniga, a cardiothoracic surgeon at Interhospital who performed the heart procedure, said in a statement: ‘The experience was good, this equipment was very easy to handle and manipulate, and the results were effective. The patient is recovering very well.’
SS Innovations believes it can differentiate itself from robotic market leader Intuitive Surgical with a technologically advanced system that is affordable and accessible to a larger segment of patients globally.
In May, SS Innovations reported that more than 4,000 robotic surgeries had been performed using the SSi Mantra without any complications, injuries, or mortalities.
The milestone involved more than 100 types of procedures, including about 215 cardiac procedures. Six of the cardiac procedures were performed via telesurgery.
The robot maker reported a 41% year-over-year increase in first-quarter revenue to $5.1 million.
Its quarterly net loss narrowed to $5.7 million from $9.8 million.
The company has stated that it aims to obtain a CE mark in Europe later this year and market clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration in the first half of 2026. It expects to submit a de novo classification request for the SSi Mantra 3 system to the FDA for multiple surgical indications.
