In a first, doctors at Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, Delhi used ‘Super Plastic’ to operate upon two heart patients last week. ‘Super Plastic’ is a material NASA invented for insulation in spacecrafts. The patients have been discharged. In a first, doctors at Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, Delhi used ‘Super Plastic’ to operate upon two heart patients recently. ‘Super Plastic’ is a material NASA invented for insulation in spacecrafts. at the used ‘Super Plastic’ to operate upon two heart patients last week. ‘Super Plastic’ is a material NASA invented for insulation in spacecrafts. The patients have been discharged. “”This is the first time that a NASA spin-off technology was used for an implantable device,”” said Dr Balbir Singh, Interventional Cardiologist at the hospital. “”Having used this path-breaking technology to treat two of my patients, I am confident it will prove to be a boon for patients around the world, especially in therapies on difficult-to-reach parts of the heart.”” The material used in the operation – Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy (CRT) -is the thinnest lead in the world. Super Plastic helps position it. “”NASA’s super plastic insulation has superior electrical isolation qualities, which enables it to position the thinnest lead body easily,”” Dr Singh said. The material used in CRT is a miniature implantable device designed to help patients with congestive heart failure by tweaking the contractions of the heart. These devices send tiny electric pulses through fine wires that travel through the left and right ventricles of patients suffering from heart failure, a chronic condition estimated to afflict over 10 million Indians. Super Plastic is a multi-purpose, self-bonding, amorphous and recyclable thermoplastic material developed by Dr Robert G Bryant, a chemical engineer at NASA.  

Apollo Hospitals Group has announced a major expansion plan with an investment of Rs 150 crores at Apollo Health City, Hyderabad, Asia’s first operational healthcity. As part of this expansion Apollo is acquiring Novalis Tx™ Radiosurgery. In addition the Group is launching a first of its kind International Healthcare Center in Asia, having state-of-the-art Knee Institute, Bariatric Surgery Institute and Institute for Aesthetics and Cosmetic Surgery. Dr Prathap C. Reddy, Chairman, Apollo Hospitals Group made this announcement today in the presence of Mr Phil Cardamone, Director, BrainLAB Asia-Pacific, Dr Hariprasad, CEO, Apollo Health City. About Novalis Tx™ Novalis Tx™ Radiotherapy & Radiosurgery is one of the most precise, non-invasive and fastest treatments available for cancerous and non-cancerous conditions of the entire body. Novalis Tx™ Radiosurgery is manufactured by Varian Medical Systems and BrainLAB. This acquisition places Apollo Cancer Institute alongside the top Cancer institutes in the world. Treatments are delivered from outside the body to destroy tumors without an incision, protects the patient’s healthy tissue, so patients can avoid hospitalization, lengthy recovery periods and many of the complications often associated with conventional surgery. Since this is an outpatient procedure, patients typically walk out of the clinic to resume their normal activities that same day. A high-definition multi-leaf collimator shapes the treatment beam to match with the shape of the tumor from every angle, thereby delivering precise dose, he added. To ensure highly precise treatments, Novalis Tx incorporates three imaging systems. “”One provides us with information about the precise location and shape of the tumor prior to treatment and the other tracks motion during treatment, so we can adjust our targeting if the patient shifts by even a few millimeters. The third enables us to verify treatment accuracy. There are also tools for synchronizing treatment with the patient’s normal breathing patterns that we can use to compensate for motion when treating in or near the lungs. Knee Institute Osteoarthritis of the knee is a common problem among the elderly in India. It is a major cause of disability in this age group. Apollo’s Knee Institute is committed to improving the quality of life for these people. The Knee Institute comprises of a team of dedicated and internationally trained orthopaedic surgeons and rehabilitation specialists who focus solely on knee diseases and replacements. Backed by the latest equipment and facilities the Institute is one of its kind, offering a comprehensive range of services to manage knee problems. Bariatric Surgery Institute India, today, is the diabetes and heart disease capital of the world. The number of people who have these problems far surpasses that of any other country. One of the major factors increasing the risk of these problems is obesity. The Bariatric Surgery Institute now offers surgical help for people who are extremely obese. These surgical techniques help patients achieve their weight loss goals. The team of internationally renowned surgeons at the Institute has over 10 years of experience performing these surgeries. This team is supported by physicians, dieticians and rehabilitation specialists who ensure that the patient’s weight loss journey continues for a lifetime by helping them make the correct choices about their diet and lifestyle after the surgery. Institute for Aesthetics and Cosmetic Surgery The demand for aesthetic and cosmetic procedures has grown rapidly in the recent past. However, most of these services have little or no scientific backing. This Apollo Institute for Aesthetics and Cosmetic Surgery now offers these treatments and surgeries backed by an internationally trained team of surgeons and dermatologists with vast experience in this field. The services offered by the Institute include Botox and filler treatments, skin lightening, chemical peels, face lifts, surgeries for the face and eye, liposuction, implants and skin grafting to help people look and feel better. The Institute is also equipped with the latest lasers for hair removal, treatment of pimples, skin tightening and tattoo removal.  

Patients who had benefited from the cutting-edge CyberKnife technology interacted with the media and talked about their personal experience at the Apollo Speciality Hospital here on Wednesday. Eighty-six-year old C.V. Govindaraj, whose nasal tumour was completely cured, said, “”They gave me another life. I feel younger.”” CyberKnife is a precision, non-invasive, robotic radio-surgery equipment, and the Apollo Hospital in Chennai is the only facility in India with the technology. “”Over 50 patients with intracranial, spine, lung and prostate tumours have benefited from the Apollo CyberKnife treatment and the results are very promising. Many of the patients had tumours that would have been considered inoperable or even untreatable,”” said Dr. Janos Stumpf, director research in oncology. The advanced technology behind CyberKnife uses real-time image guidance technology and computer-controlled robotics to deliver an extremely precise dose of radiation to targets, avoiding the surrounding healthy tissue and adjusting for patient and tumour movement during treatment. “”Surrounding cells are affected by just two-thirds of the radiation dosage required to treat cancerous cells. Tricky surgeries which require high precision can now be carried out with the help of CyberKnife and it doesn’t cause too many side-effects,”” said Dr. Sanjay Chandrasekar, Senior Consultant, Radiation Oncology. The treatment does not require anesthesia  

Patients come together to mark a year of the Liver Transplantation Programme at Apollo Hospitals Chennai Apollo Hospitals Chennai has performed the largest number of cadaver Liver Transplants in a single year as compared to any centre in the country Performs a Living Related Liver Transplant and saves a 24- year old mother of two. Launches ‘Apollo Liver Clinic’. A novel concept that offers multidisciplinary evaluation under one roof by several sub-specialists in liver medicine. Patients with all forms of liver diseases including hepatitis, & cancer involving the liver, pancreas & biliary system can benefit The team of the Liver Transplantation Programme at Apollo Hospitals Chennai completed a year of successful cadaver and living liver transplantations. Until even a year ago, the liver transplantation procedure was not available in Chennai. A living donor transplantation procedure also had its constraints. The recent cases at Apollo Hospitals Chennai have changed the face of liver transplantation in southern India. The success of our liver transplant programme exhibits that we are second to none. Apollo Hospitals has the largest liver transplantation programme in India. Our programme has encouraged all sections of society to come together and promote organ donation so that many more lives can be saved. We are very grateful for the progressive and supportive government policies, that help us, save lives. These patients don’t just receive an organ but a new lease of life. In the last one-year, close to 25 liver transplants have been performed at Apollo Hospital Chennai. These life-saving procedures give hope to thousands of cases of liver failure. We have established the most up to date infrastructure geared towards undertaking successful liver transplants, complex liver hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery. We have successfully performed cadaveric liver transplants and recently even three living donor liver transplants. Our patients speak for our work. Given below are two noteworthy cases, “A 24 years old lady, a mother of two, 3 months following her last delivery, was referred from Jharkhand to Apollo Hospitals Chennai with rapidly developing jaundice & liver failure due to Hepatitis B. She was critically sick and required life support system. Only an emergency liver transplant could save her. Considering the low prospects of availability of a cadaver liver at such short notice, her brother, husband and nephew came forward to donate a part of their liver but were found unfit. Finally, the sister-in-law was found fit and willing. The challenging endeavor lasted 20 hours and soon she was on her road to recovery. The donor went home on day 8, while the recipient stayed in the hospital for 3 weeks and went home on her 25th birthday. Today Sumithra is back with her family and her two children.” This Adult to Adult Living donor liver transplant for Fulminant liver failure was the first of its type in Tamil Nadu. “Young Ms Yanza from Kenya, suffered from jaundice for the last several years. She was born with an inherited liver disease. Her liver was failing. There were no facilities for such a complex treatment in Kenya. She received a portion of her mother’s liver. The mother recovered within 7 days. Yanza is completely normal today and excited to go back to school with her sister.” Liver failure is a potentially fatal condition in which the liver progressively stops performing its function resulting in episodes of jaundice, accumulation of fluid in the body, blood vomiting and confusion. Conditions such as Hepatitis B or Hepatitis C infection, excess alcohol consumption, diseases such as Primary Biliary Cirrhosis and Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis can cause this state. A liver transplant is recommended when all other treatment options fail and then on inaction could be fatal. The purpose of the transplantation is to replace the diseased liver with a healthy liver. Ideally, after a transplant, a patient will be free from disease, and can lead a fairly normal life. Several new initiatives by the Apollo Hospitals as well as the Tamil-Nadu state government, has increased the rate of cadaver organ donation. Last year, Apollo Hospitals Chennai performed the largest number of cadaver liver transplants by any centre in the country in any one year. The cadaver livers came from various districts of Tamil-Nadu. Procurement of cadaveric organs and its transplantation is resource intensive, laborious and requires detailed and timely coordination among several medical and logistic departments. Recently a cadaver organ had to be retrieved from a 21-year-old donor in Nagarcoil. Since there is presently no hospital in Nagarcoil authorized to conduct organ donation, the patient was transferred to Thirunelveli. The Liver Transplantation Team from Apollo Hospitals Chennai flew to Madurai and drove an ambulance for 3 hrs to Thirunelveli and a similar journey back to complete the transplant in Chennai within 10 hours of retrieval. The Centre for Liver Disease & Transplantation, Apollo Hospitals, Chennai is a centre for excellence in the treatment of Liver, Pancreas and biliary track disorders. Patients with hepatitis, cirrhosis and other forms of liver diseases and cancers, go through aprotracted course of disease progression thatmay involve various systems thereby requiring multidisciplinary evaluation and multi-modality treatment approach including medical optimization, surgical procedures and occasionally interventional radiology based procedures to bridge over certain crisis situations. These patients are often terminally sick. Having to go to various physician clinics, resultant-increasing costs of investigations and the frustration secondary to diverse opinions can be bewildering. Liver clinics, over and above being the ‘public face’ of the Centre for Liver Disease & Transplantation, Apollo Hospitals, Chennai, addresses these patient related issues. It aims at saving the patients’ cost, time and clinic encounters. The liver clinics aim to provide a comprehensive evaluation followed by a ‘road map’ of care that is optimally tailored to meet the individual patients’ requirements based on their disease sub-type, severity and co-morbidities.  

 ~ New initiative focused on advancing robotic surgery, digital surgery and remote surgical collaboration ~Chennai, 13 March 2026: Apollo Hospitals Chennai has launched the Apollo Institute of Robotics & Telesurgery (ART), a new initiative aimed at advancing robotic surgery, digital surgery and remote surgical collaboration. The announcement was made during the 6th Apollo International Colorectal Symposium (AICRS) 2026, which brought together leading surgeons, scientists and technology pioneers from across the world to discuss the future of colorectal cancer surgery and technology-enabled care. The symposium highlighted the rapid evolution of technology-driven colorectal care, with discussions focused on robotic surgery, digital surgical platforms and emerging telesurgical innovations that are transforming surgical access and outcomes globally. A major highlight presented during the symposium was the Apollo Rectal Cancer (ARC) Programme at the Apollo Proton Cancer Centre, Chennai a comprehensive multidisciplinary initiative designed for the management of complex rectal cancers. The programme integrates colorectal surgeons, radiation oncologists, medical oncologists, radiologists, pathologists, specialist nurses, nutritionists and rehabilitation experts to deliver coordinated, patient-centred cancer care.  Another milestone highlighted was the growing adoption of robotic colorectal surgery at Apollo Hospitals. Dr. Venkatesh Munikrishnan and his team have completed over 1,000 robotic colorectal procedures, including one of the largest personal series of robotic rectal cancer resections in the region. This experience has helped position Apollo Hospitals Chennai as a subspecialist centre for rectal cancer treatment and an important training hub for advanced robotic colorectal surgery, attracting surgeons and fellows from across India and internationally. Speaking about the initiative, Prof Dr Venkatesh Munikrishnan, Consultant Colorectal Surgeon & Clinical Lead Institute of Colorectal Surgery and Chairperson AICRS 2026 said, “Rectal cancer treatment today requires a highly coordinated multidisciplinary approach. The Apollo Rectal Cancer Programme was developed to ensure patients benefit from the combined expertise of surgeons, oncologists and allied specialists working together to deliver personalised, evidence-based care. The integration of technologies such as robotic surgery has significantly enhanced surgical precision, particularly in complex pelvic procedures, improving outcomes while preserving quality of life.” Dr. Sudhir Srivastava, Founder Chairman and CEO, SS Innovations, said, “Robotic surgery has already transformed how complex operations are performed by enabling greater precision, control and visualisation for surgeons. The next natural progression is telesurgery, which will redefine how surgical expertise is delivered across geographies. Technologies such as the Mantrasana telesurgery platform are designed to bridge the gap between centres of excellence and hospitals that may not have access to subspecialist expertise, ensuring that patients, regardless of location, can benefit from the highest standards of surgical care.”Looking ahead to the next phase of surgical innovation, Apollo Hospitals announced the launch of the Apollo Institute of Robotics and Telesurgery (ART), a new initiative aimed at advancing robotic surgery, digital surgery and remote surgical collaboration. Present at the launch were Dr. Ilankumaran Kaliamoorthy, Chief Executive Officer - Chennai Region, Apollo Hospitals and Mr. Karan Puri, Chief Executive Officer - Apollo Speciality Hospitals, Teynampet & Apollo Proton Cancer Centre. Co-chaired by Prof Dr Steven D Wexner, System Chief, Colorectal Surgery, Medstar Georgetown University Hospital, Washington DC, USA and Prof. Manish Chand, Consultant Colorectal Surgeon & Associate Professor, University College London, UK and hosted by the Institute of Colorectal Surgery at Apollo Hospitals Chennai, AICRS 2026 reflects a decade-long effort to advance subspecialisation in colorectal surgery, transforming what was once a general surgical field into a highly specialised discipline driven by precision, technology and multidisciplinary cancer care.Click here to know more.