AIIMS Delhi crosses 1,000 robotic surgeries in 13 months, expanding access to minimally invasive care

A public-hospital milestone in advanced surgery

AIIMS Delhi has completed more than 1,000 robotic surgeries in the last 13 months, the institute said in a statement reported on 20 January 2026. The programme, run under the Department of Surgical Disciplines, was introduced to take on intricate surgical challenges using robotic assistance and minimally invasive techniques.

The procedures cited include complex hepatobiliary operations, and major gastrointestinal surgeries such as gastrectomy, esophagectomy, colectomy and anterior resection performed for malignancies. The statement also listed abdominal wall reconstructions for hernias among the key areas where the robotic platform has been utilised.

Beyond GI surgery: transplants and endocrine tumours

The institute said robotic assistance has also been deployed for kidney transplantation, along with minimally invasive removal of organs such as the thyroid, parathyroid, adrenal glands and pancreas for endocrine tumours. The variety of use cases points to a widening footprint for robotic systems beyond a narrow set of procedures.

AIIMS described the achievement as a transformative milestone, positioning the department among the early general surgery units within a government hospital setup in India to acquire and implement such technology at scale. The stated intent is to make precise, minimally invasive surgeries more accessible to a larger population in the public system.

What this could change for patients

Robotic surgery is often associated with smaller incisions, greater precision and faster recovery for selected procedures, though outcomes depend on patient condition, case complexity and surgical expertise. In a high-load public hospital, scaling such techniques may also help improve operating theatre throughput and reduce backlogs for certain surgeries.

• Milestone: 1,000+ robotic surgeries in 13 months (as per AIIMS statement)
• Key areas: hepatobiliary and GI cancer surgery, hernia reconstructions
• Also cited: kidney transplants; minimally invasive endocrine tumour surgeries