Narayana Hospital, Howrah completes nine back-to-back robotic surgeries on the 4th Generation da Vinci system. Its surgeon says the day was meant as an open classroom for young surgeons and a sign of rising patient demand, not a race for a record.
Howrah, 29th September,2026: The oldest patient was 90. The youngest was 30. Between them lay six decades of life, a range of surgical problems and one common thread: each was treated with robotic-assisted surgery, on the same day, by the same team at Narayana Hospital, Howrah.
In all, the hospital performed nine robotic-assisted surgeries back to back in a single day, a significant milestone in the adoption of advanced robotic surgery in Eastern India. The procedures were performed on the 4th Generation da Vinci Robotic Surgical System by Dr. Shashank Shukla, Consultant – General, Laparoscopic & Robotic Surgery, Narayana Hospital, Howrah, and his team.
Six decades on one operating list
The day’s list read like a cross-section of general surgery: robotic cholecystectomy (gall bladder removal), robotic hernia repairs and robotic appendectomy. The hernia cases were varied in themselves, ranging from complicated inguinal hernias in the groin to ventral hernias in the abdominal wall.
That breadth, the hospital says, reflects its expanding capabilities in robotic-assisted surgery and its ability to offer minimally invasive approaches for both common and complex surgical conditions. It also shows the growing role robotic technology now plays in giving surgeons enhanced precision, control and flexibility during minimally invasive procedures.
“Each patient presents with a unique clinical requirement, and our focus remains on selecting the appropriate surgical approach based on individual needs,” said Dr. Shukla.
Why the number isn’t the story
In sections of the media, the feat is being described as a record for the state. Dr. Shukla sees it differently.
“Performing nine back-to-back robotic surgeries in a single day is an important milestone for our team and reflects the growing experience and capabilities of robotic-assisted surgery at Narayana Hospital, Howrah,” he said. “But proving a point with numbers was never the intention. We wanted to show how much the demand for robotic surgery has risen over the years.”
The real evidence, he says, lies in an ordinary week. “We don’t have to put in so much effort for numbers,” he said. “In the same week, we did eight more cases, almost one or two robotic cases every single day.”
Dr. Shukla has been performing robotic surgery for the last four years. What delights him most is not the tally, but the demand he now sees among patients. “In the recent past, patients have been consciously asking for robotic surgery as word about it spreads,” he said.
“Our belief that we are on the right path is reinforced every day by the words of patients who have benefited from it,” he said. For him, those words count for more than any record.
An open classroom for Eastern India
The day had another purpose, one that looked beyond the operating table to the surgeons of tomorrow.
“Rather than proving a point, we tried to create a platform where budding surgeons, young surgeons and colleagues from across Eastern India could come and see a myriad of procedures being handled by technology,” said Dr. Shukla.
From gall bladders to complicated hernias, from a patient of 30 to one of 90, the nine surgeries became a living textbook of robotic surgery, written in a single day.
Many hands behind the console
Nine robotic procedures in one day is not the work of one surgeon. Mr. Ajit Kumar Bellamkonda, Facility Director, Narayana Hospital, Howrah & Chunavati, credited the whole hospital. “Successfully completing nine robotic procedures in a single day required coordinated efforts across the surgical, anaesthesia, nursing and support teams,” he said.
He called the achievement a reflection of the hospital’s continued commitment to strengthening advanced surgical capabilities and bringing contemporary healthcare technologies closer to patients in Eastern India.
“At Narayana Health, our focus is to combine advanced technology with clinical expertise and patient-centric care, ensuring that innovations translate into meaningful healthcare outcomes for our patients,” he added.
The surgeon stays in charge
Robotic-assisted surgery is increasingly being adopted across surgical specialties as an advanced form of minimally invasive surgery. The name, though, can mislead: the robot does not operate on its own.
With the da Vinci system, the surgeon sits at a console and guides robotic arms holding slender instruments and a camera, which enter the body through small incisions. The system gives the surgeon enhanced visualisation, instrument control and dexterity. It is designed to assist surgeons and does not replace the expertise or decision-making of the surgical team.
“Robotic-assisted surgery provides surgeons with enhanced control and precision while performing minimally invasive procedures, and our aim is to utilise this technology responsibly to deliver safe and effective surgical care to our patients,” said Dr. Shukla.
A record he would happily break
The hospital sees the day as part of its wider effort to expand access to advanced surgical care and strengthen its position as a centre for robotic-assisted procedures in the region.
Dr. Shukla expects the demand to keep climbing. “It is only going to increase in the future,” he said. As for the record, he wears the label lightly. “Setting a record was never the intention,” he said. “But if we see it as a record, I will be more than happy to break my own records.”
About Narayana Health
Narayana Health, trusted by millions for more than 26 years, is a leading healthcare provider in India with a NABL- and JCI-accredited network of 21 hospitals and numerous clinics nationwide. The group comprises over 4,000 doctors across 110+ specialties and offers integrated services including hospitals, clinics, labs, pharmacies, and insurance. Guided by its mission to make healthcare accessible to all, Narayana Health continues to set standards in medical excellence and patient care.
