Dr Venkatesh Munikrishnan, Consultant Colorectal Surgeon

19/11/2025

Connecting the dots.
Steve Jobs once said: “You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards.”
When I look back, the dots in my own professional journey - suddenly everything make sense:
General & Colore**al Surgery Training in NHS England Hospitals and earning my Memberships/Fellowships at the The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh — where the foundations were laid.
Returning to India in search of my purpose and setting up Chennai’s first dedicated Colore**al Clinic in 2010.
Meeting Dr Prathap C Reddy Chairman Apollo Hospitals in 2012 was life changing in many ways and subsequently joining Apollo Hospitals, Chennai to build a subspecialist colore**al service — a decision that gave me both scale and opportunity.
Embracing robotic colore**al surgery early 2016, dropping open and laparoscopic techniques, and committing fully to the platform.
Building the Apollo Re**al Cancer (ARC) Programme in 2024.
Performing close to 1,000 robotic colore**al procedures & building one of the largest colore**al teams/experiences in the subcontinent in 2025.
And now, performing Apollo’s first telesurgery for re**al cancer — India’s longest-distance robotic colore**al surgery procedure using the Made in India SS Innovations International, Inc. Mantra 3 surgical robot
At each step, I didn’t know how it would fit into the bigger picture.
But looking back, every leap of faith, every “dot” connects into a story — of creating access, pushing boundaries, and shaping the future of colore**al surgery in India. Solid postgrad training > Subspecialization > Adopting Robotics to Surgical Practice > Building Colore**al Surgery Teams > Building Colore**al Surgery Programmes > Pushing the boundaries with Telesurgery
At Apollo Hospitals we are well on our way to democratising surgical excellence and expertise in India and around the world. So excited for what we as a team will achieve in the future!
Apollo Proton Cancer Centre Apollo Hospitals, Chennai

17/11/2025

www.assanawellness.com

Assana Colore**al & Gut Wellness Clinic offers holistic care for patients with common colore**al problems such as Constipation, Piles or Haemorrhoids, A**l Fissures, A**l Fistula, Colore**al Cancer while also addressing the lifestyle challenges which predispose to these problems.

17/11/2025

Mastering Three Robotic Platforms for Re**al Cancer Surgery
One of the most interesting shifts in my practice at Apollo Hospitals over the last decade has been moving seamlessly across three different robotic platforms for re**al cancer surgery — the Intuitive da Vinci, Medtronic Robotic-Assisted Surgery Hugo RAS, and India’s own SS Innovations International, Inc. Mantra.

After completing 850+ robotic colore**al procedures, something becomes very clear.
If you build the right team with strong, generic robotic fundamentals — deep pelvic dissection, precise nerve preservation, clean mesore**al planes — the platform becomes a tool, not a barrier. Switching systems becomes second nature. The teamwork augments these transitions.

What each platform brings to the table:
*da Vinci*
Integrated platform
ICG for bowel perfusion
Robotic staplers ideal for ultra-low pelvic work
Outstanding precision for total mesore**al excision

*Hugo RAS*
Modular arms with flexible positioning
Open-console design that improves team communication
Medtronic portfolio of MIS instrumentation

*SSI Mantra*
India’s indigenous modular open system
Cost-efficient for large-scale adoption
Enables telesurgery, opening the door for equitable cancer care across India

Each system has its strengths. But the core principles of safe oncologic surgery remain the same.

Why multi-platform proficiency matters
It allows us at Apollo Hospitals to:
Choose the right system for the right patient
Build truly platform-generic robotic programmes
Train surgeons to be cost efficient, adaptable, thoughtful, and anatomy-driven
Expand advanced colore**al care across all Apollo units.
Most importantly, it helps us deliver consistent, high-quality outcomes, regardless of which platform is in the OR.

The Road Ahead:
With the rise of cost-efficient platforms like SS Innovations International, Inc. Mantra and the possibilities of telesurgery, India is on the brink of expanding access to complex re**al cancer surgery in a way

03/11/2025

Colonoscopy saves lives. get screened if you are 50 years/ above or if you have colore**al symptoms of re**al bleeding, change in bowel habit, anaemianor weight loss

get screened!.

07/05/2025

Healthcare is evolving. Colore**al Diseases are an end result of poor gut health. It becomes very important to maintain good health for a beautiful life. So we have brought to life a new concept: Assana - A Colore**al & Gut Wellness Clinic where we provide holistic 360 degree care addressing not only the colore**al problem but also the underlying gut health causing it.

visit www.assanawellness.com for more info or call +91 9384017122 for appointments with Dr Venkatesh Munikrishnan, Consultant Colore**al Surgeon

07/05/2025

A Saturday afternoon with my Mentor..
This past Saturday afternoon, at 3 PM, while most were easing into their weekend, I found myself at the Apollo Hospitals, Corporate Office, Sunnyside. There, as always, was Dr. Prathap C Reddy — not taking a break, not slowing down. At 92 years of age, he was at his desk, fully engaged, working on ways to help others in India and across nations.
In our discussion, he outlined how he’s exploring bringing advanced healthcare to African countries — not as a distant plan, but as an active mission. Even after creating India’s most recognized healthcare institution, he isn’t content to stop. His mind is on building clinical programs, tackling complex healthcare challenges, and mentoring clinicians and leaders who can take that mission forward. We discussed ways surgical robotics and telesurgery will impact and change access to advanced surgical expertise in remote parts of the world.
He took a moment to congratulate me on crossing 800 robotic colore**al surgeries, a milestone in my own journey. But true to his nature, he pivoted quickly to the future:
"How do we scale complex gastrointestinal surgical programmes?"
"How do we use what we’ve built to serve wider populations?"
It struck me that while most people plan for retirement at 60 or 70, here is a man who, at 92, spends his Saturday afternoons mentoring, visioning, and building healthcare for the future.
It’s a rare privilege to have such a mentor. And it’s a reminder that leadership is not just about strategy or numbers. It’s about purpose, people, and the courage to keep building — no matter the hour or the age. More importantly I watched in awe, him staying connected with clinicians to learn about their challenges and how he can help address them.
Thank you, Dr. Reddy, for the Saturday masterclass teaching me that milestones are just markers on a much longer road, and there is still so much more to be done.
**alcancer **alsurgery Apollo Proton Cancer Centre Sun News Tamil Chennai Colore**al Clinic Chennai Super Kings Re**al Cancer Surgery

19/04/2025

800 Robotic Colore**al Surgery Procedures Completed Since 2016.

I’m deeply humbled and proud to share a significant milestone —

I’ve now completed 800 robotic colore**al surgical procedures at Apollo Hospital,Greams Rd Apollo Proton Cancer Centre
This is not just a number.

It represents India’s highest volume of robotic colore**al surgeries by a single sub-specialist colore**al surgeon within the Apollo ecosystem, and among the highest in the country.

What began as a vision — to bring precision, safety, and minimally invasive care to patients suffering from colore**al diseases — has grown into a full-fledged program with outcomes we can truly be proud of.

More importantly we have democratized robotic surgery for this country and beyond by designing the world’s most cost efficient programme. This work has been presented in multiple international meetings and is awaiting publications.

This milestone is not mine alone. It belongs to the subspecialist surgical teams, anaesthesia colleagues, theatre staff, ward nurses, oncologists, radiologists, and so many others who make this possible every single day. I am very grateful for the support from the Apollo Leadership and senior management.

It’s powered by Apollo Hospitals’ belief in pushing boundaries and building world-class robotic programs.

And it’s inspired by every patient who placed their trust in our hands.

As we celebrate this achievement, the mission remains the same:

- Drive subspecialized care in colore**al surgery

- Raise awareness around early diagnosis and treatment

- Destigmatize the conversation around gut and colore**al health

- And most of all, do more than expected — every single time

Onward. With purpose. With precision.

**alSurgery

02/03/2025

March is Colore**al Cancer Awareness Month. Please get screened!
Apollo Proton Cancer Centre Apollo Hospitals Chennai Colore**al Clinic Re**al Cancer Surgery

27/02/2025

March is Colore**al Cancer Awareness Month – A Message from Dr. Venkatesh Munikrishnan

🩺 Colore**al cancer is one of the most preventable and treatable cancers— but only if detected early. As a colore**al surgeon dedicated to advancing gut health, I’m launching a month-long social media awareness campaign to educate, engage, and empower you to take control of your gut health.

📢 Join me throughout March for insights on:
✅ The warning signs of colore**al cancer – What symptoms should never be ignored.
✅ Who needs screening and when? – A colonoscopy can save your life.
✅ Gut-friendly diet tips – How to reduce your risk naturally.
✅ Myth vs. Fact: Breaking down common misconceptions about colore**al diseases.
✅ Patient stories – Real journeys of those who took early action.

💙 Let’s Talk, Learn, and Act!
🔹 Follow me for expert advice, live Q&A sessions, and gut health challenges.
🔹 Use to spread awareness.
🔹 Book a screening at ASSANA Clinic & Apollo Hospitals – because prevention starts today!

🔔 Stay tuned for daily updates, interactive polls, and giveaways to encourage proactive gut health!

**alAwareness **alCancer

Apollo Proton Cancer Centre Apollo Hospitals

25/02/2025

Our new Superspecialist Clinic for Piles , a**l fissures, a**l fistula, colore**al cancer in Chennai. Call +919384017122 for appointments Venkatesh Munikrishnan, Consultant Colore**al Surgeon