The Pioneer of Robotic Urology

On 5 September 1960, in Chhatarpur, Madhya Pradesh, Ashok Kumar Hemal was born. He studied at Gajra Raja Medical College in Gwalior and went on to specialise in urology, eventually becoming one of the foremost names in minimally invasive and robotic surgery for cancers of the kidney, prostate and bladder.

As a Professor of Urology at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi, he established the department’s robotic surgery programme and performed the first robotic radical prostatectomy in India on 29 April 2005. Over the years he carried out more than a hundred robotic procedures for urological cancers at AIIMS, helping introduce a technology that offers greater precision, less blood loss and faster recovery. He also developed cost-effective laparoscopic techniques and contributed to teaching modules for medical education across the country.

In 2007 he moved to Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in the United States, where he continues as Professor of Urology, Director of Robotics and Minimally Invasive Surgery, and Chief of Uro-oncology. He has performed thousands of robotic and laparoscopic operations, trained surgeons from around the world, and authored the textbook Robotics in Urological Surgery. More than three hundred of his scientific papers appear in major journals; he remains a sought-after visiting professor and live-surgery demonstrator.

Recognition has followed a lifetime of innovation: the Dr. B.C. Roy National Award, the UGC Outstanding Social Scientist Award, fellowship of the National Academy of Medical Sciences, and, in 2007, the Padma Shri from the Government of India. More recently he received the Golden Robotic Surgical Award in New York for his contributions to prostate-cancer research and robotic oncology.

Today, whether in the operating rooms of Winston-Salem or through the many surgeons he has mentored across continents, Prof. Ashok Kumar Hemal continues to advance the quiet revolution of robotic surgery—bringing greater precision and hope to patients facing some of the most challenging diseases of the urinary system.