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Vattikuti Foundation honors innovative surgeons with annual awards
The awards brought together surgeons and researchers from multiple countries, with entries spanning across emerging technologies.
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Staff Reporter - Fri, 17, Apr 2026
- 17:55 EDT
- 21
Vattikuti Foundation / Instagram
Michigan-based Vattikuti Foundation presented the KS International Innovation Awards 2026 in Miami on April 17, recognizing developments in robotic surgery across technology and procedure categories.
Instituted in 2015 in honor of Krishnaswamy Subrahmaniam, the awards aim to recognize breakthrough ideas and foster collaboration across the global surgical community.
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In the Technology Track, Federico Piramide of San Luigi Gonzaga Hospital won first place for work on immersive virtual environments for preoperative planning. Daniele Amparore of the University of Turin and Candiolo Cancer Institute was named runner-up for advancing telemonitoring in postoperative care. Finalists included Enrico Checcucci, Derek Mendonca and Michael Stifelman.
In the Procedure Track, Federico Lavagno of the University of Turin secured first place for a single-port nephroureterectomy technique aimed at improving minimally invasive urologic surgery. Kalayarasan Raja was named runner-up for a robotic modified TajMahal hepatectomy. Finalists included Swapnil Kushwaha, Mohan Gundeti and Daniele Amparore.
The People’s Choice Award was presented to Atanu Kumar Pal for a robotic Level 3 IVC thrombectomy using suprahepatic IVC control.
Commenting on the awards, Abhinav Vattikuti said, “The scale and diversity of innovation we are witnessing today signal a decisive shift in how robotic surgery is being imagined and applied globally. What is particularly encouraging is the convergence of technology, data and clinical expertise to solve real world challenges.”
Mahendra Bhandari added, “These innovations are not incremental, they represent a fundamental shift in how complex surgeries are approached and delivered… The real impact lies in translating this progress into better outcomes, wider access and safer procedures for patients.”
This year’s entries were evaluated by an international jury, including David Neal, Rajeev Kumar and Sherry M. Wren, on parameters such as originality, clinical relevance, scalability and real-world impact.
Subrahmaniam was an early advocate of robotic-assisted surgery, promoting its potential to improve precision, reduce patient burden and expand access to care.
Founded in 1997 by Raj Vattikuti, the foundation focuses on advancing the global adoption of robotic surgery and has supported its rollout across more than 200 hospitals in India, including training over 500 surgeons.
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