New Delhi, April 21 : As robot-assisted surgeries gain momentum globally, including in India, it is time to train surgeons employing the latest technological advances to improve patient outcomes, experts said on Sunday.

According to Dr Mahendra Bhandari, CEO of US-based Vattikuti Foundation, we should focus on how new robotic technology is being used, capturing data predictive models before, during, and after an operation to improve patient outcomes as well as surgeon didactic and training skills.

'We encourage teams of accomplished surgeons to prepare high-quality, digital submissions showcasing their most extraordinary surgical work employing the latest technological advances,' Bhandari said.

Vattikuti Foundation has also announced the 2024 edition of its 'KS International Innovation Awards in Robotic Surgery'.

The scope of the multi-disciplinary technology competition has been expanded to cover two distinct tracks ' robotic procedure innovation and technological innovation.

According to the foundation, the robotic procedure innovation entries can be from cardiac, general surgery, gynaecology, head and neck, microsurgery, organ transplant, orthopaedics, plastic surgery, paediatrics, urology and other areas.

The entries for Technological Innovation will cover areas such as Artificial Intelligence, Imaging Modalities, Robotic Systems, Tele Surgery, Training Modalities, Virtual Reality, and others.

The competition, initiated in 2015, is open to robotic surgeons, medical school faculty, and students, presenting an opportunity for a close examination of technologies and procedures being used globally.

The 2023 KS Innovation Awards saw entries from 429 surgeons from 14 countries, submitting in 10 different specialties.

Meanwhile, the Brady Urological Institute at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore has announced its first Brady-Vattikuti Robotic Academy masterclass in Urology under guidance of the accomplished robotic surgeons.

The week-long masterclass beginning May 13 will cover several hours of live case observation, simulation sessions and proctor-led procedural training with experts, said the foundation.

/IANS