Robotic VATS in India

In robotic thoracic surgery, small ports are placed between the ribs and robotic arms are docked to them. The surgeon sits at a console nearby and moves the instruments, which bend like a wrist and filter out hand tremor. A second surgeon stays at the bedside to help.

The 3D, magnified view and flexible instruments can help when dissecting lymph nodes or working around large blood vessels. It does not replace the surgeon's judgment, and outcomes depend on team experience. Robotic systems are found mainly in larger private hospitals, and the cost is usually higher.

How this approach differs

Robotic VATS uses the same small rib-space cuts as thoracoscopic VATS but replaces hand-held straight tools with wristed instruments controlled from a console. The 3D view and fine movement can help with lymph node clearance and complex segment removals. Recovery is broadly similar to standard VATS, though operating time can be longer. Candidacy depends on tumour features, fitness for one-lung ventilation and access to a hospital with a robotic thoracic programme.

• VATS (Video-Assisted Thoracic Surgery)Standard approach
• Thoracoscopic VATS

Who needs robotic vats

• Early lung cancer needing lobectomy or segmentectomy with lymph node removal
• Lung nodules in hard-to-reach positions
• Masses in the mediastinum (space between the lungs) in selected cases
• Patients preferred for robotic surgery by an experienced thoracic team

How it is done

1. Planning uses CT and PET scans and lung function results.
2. Under general anaesthesia, one lung is deflated and small ports are placed between the ribs.
3. The robotic arms are docked and the surgeon moves to the console.
4. Blood vessels, airways and lung tissue are dissected with wristed instruments; lymph nodes are removed for staging.
5. Specimens are removed in a bag through a slightly enlarged port.
6. A chest drain is placed and ports are closed.

Before you travel to India

• CT and PET scan images, biopsy results and staging reports
• Lung function and heart tests
• Details of any previous chest surgery, which may affect port placement
• Confirm the hospital has a dedicated robotic thoracic surgeon

Recovery and flying home

• Hospital stay is usually a few days
• Pain is generally manageable with tablets and nerve blocks
• Drain removal follows the settling of air leak
• Clearance to fly comes after a review and chest X-ray
• Light activity resumes within a few weeks; final pathology guides further treatment

Risks

• Air leak or bleeding
• Conversion to thoracoscopic or open surgery
• Longer anaesthetic time than some other approaches
• Chest infection or irregular heartbeat
• Nerve pain at port sites

Alternatives

• Thoracoscopic VATS with hand-held instruments
• Open thoracotomy for large or central tumours
• Stereotactic radiotherapy for small cancers in people unfit for surgery

Conditions treated

• Lung Nodule
• Empyema (Pus Around the Lung)

Hospitals in India for robotic vats

• Medanta - The MedicityDelhi NCR
• AIG Hospitals, GachibowliHyderabad
• BLK-Max Super Speciality HospitalDelhi NCR
• Apollo Hospitals, Bannerghatta RoadBengaluru
• Rajagiri HospitalKochi
• Asian Heart Institute, MumbaiMumbai
• Dr. D. Y. Patil Medical College, Hospital & Research Centre, PimpriPune
• KIMS Hospitals, SecunderabadHyderabad
• Yashoda Hospitals, Hitec CityHyderabad

How these hospitals compare

Specialists

• Dr Arvind KumarMedanta - The Medicity, Gurugram
• Dr Pramoj JindalMax Super Speciality Hospital, Vaishali / Shalimar Bagh

Frequently asked questions

Medically reviewed by The Curaventa Team. Last updated 2026-10-24. General information, not medical advice. Medical editorial board · Editorial policy · How we get prices