Surgical robot developer SS Innovations International said Monday 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 with the system 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 it was installed, the company said.
“The experience was good, this equipment was very easy to handle and manipulate, and the results were effective,” Juan Zuniga, a cardiothoracic surgeon at Interhospital who performed the heart procedure, said in a statement. “The patient is recovering very well.”
SS Innovations’ shares began trading on the Nasdaq market in April, as the India-based company pursues a global expansion. It said 80 SSi Mantra systems were installed in 75 hospitals across India and other countries.
The company 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 said more than 4,000 robotic surgeries had been performed with 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 telesurgeries.
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 said it aims to obtain a CE mark in Europe later this year and market clearance from the 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 in July for multiple surgical indications.
