Hwasun Jeonnam National University Hospital Surpasses 300 Annual Robot Surgeries

Urology Surgery Volume Ranks 2nd Nationwide Per Procedure

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] The number of robotic surgeries at Hwasun Chonnam National University Hospital surpassed 300 cases annually last year. This represents a 101% increase compared to the previous year, marking the fastest growth rate nationwide.

Hwasun Chonnam National University Hospital (Director Shin Myunggeun) announced on the 8th that the number of Da Vinci robotic surgeries reached 302 last year, a 101% growth compared to 150 cases the previous year.

By department, urology accounted for 268 cases of robotic surgery, making up 88.7% of the total. This was followed by colorectal surgery with 25 cases, gastrointestinal surgery with 8 cases, and thoracic surgery with 1 case.

Among the 72 hospitals nationwide performing Da Vinci robotic surgeries, the number of urology surgeries per robot unit is the second highest in the country. It is the highest in the Chungcheong, Honam, and Jeju regions.

The annual number of robotic surgeries was 52 in 2018, 82 in 2019, 150 in 2020, and 302 in 2021, showing approximately double growth each year.

Da Vinci robotic surgery is a “minimally invasive surgical method” that involves making a few small incisions in the patient’s skin to insert robotic arms, rather than open surgery.

Unlike conventional surgery, robotic surgery is performed with the surgeon remotely controlling the robot from a console.

It is mainly used for precise and complex cancer surgeries, with advantages such as minimizing skin incisions to reduce pain, shortening recovery time, and enabling a faster return to daily life.

In urology, it is primarily applied to prostate cancer, bladder cancer, and kidney surgeries. In particular, robotic prostate cancer surgery is highly regarded worldwide.

Because the prostate is located deep within the narrow pelvis, making it difficult for a surgeon’s hand to reach, and there is a high risk of damaging nerves responsible for erection during surgery, robotic prostatectomy reduces blood loss, transfusion volume, hospital stay, and complications, while also lowering the incidence of erectile dysfunction and urinary incontinence, leading to faster recovery.

Hwasun Chonnam National University Hospital introduced the surgical robot “Da Vinci S” for the first time in the Gwangju and Jeonnam regions in 2009, applying it in urology and colorectal surgery.

Since then, at the end of 2019, the hospital upgraded to the state-of-the-art “Da Vinci Xi” model with enhanced functions and has been operating it since.

At the beginning of last year, Hwasun Chonnam National University Hospital achieved 2,000 cases of minimally invasive radical prostatectomy using laparoscopy and robotic surgery. Recently, not only in urology but also in other surgical departments, young professors have shown interest in robotic surgery, causing a rapid increase in the number of surgeries.

Jung Seungil, head of the urology department at Hwasun Chonnam National University Hospital, stated, “Robotic surgery is gradually expanding its surgical scope to various departments including urology, colorectal surgery, and thoracic surgery,” adding, “We are achieving significant results by applying robotic surgery to highly complex surgeries such as cancer.”

He continued, “Cancer patients no longer need to travel to the metropolitan area for surgery, as specialized surgeries are possible at Hwasun Chonnam National University Hospital, playing a major role in protecting the treatment and health of local residents.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.