Severance Hospital Becomes First in the World to Achieve 50,000 Robotic Surgeries

Severance Hospital has become the first medical institution in the world to achieve 50,000 robotic surgeries.

Ham Wonsik, Director of the Robot Endoscopic Surgery Center at Severance Hospital, is performing robot surgery. Severance Hospital

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On April 21, Severance Hospital announced that Ham Wonsik, Director of the Robotic Endoscopic Surgery Center and Professor of Urology, recently performed a partial nephrectomy using a robot on a 65-year-old kidney cancer patient, Mr. Kim, marking the hospital's 50,000th robotic surgery.

Professor Ham chose a robotic partial nephrectomy, rather than a total nephrectomy which would remove the entire kidney, as the treatment method. Partial nephrectomy is a highly complex procedure that selectively removes only the tumor, thus preserving kidney function. Because the kidney is a highly vascular organ, the procedure requires temporarily blocking blood flow to the kidney, precisely excising the tumor within a short time, and then suturing the kidney back to its original shape. During this process, minimizing blood loss and ischemic time is crucial. Robotic surgery enables a precise and safe operation with high-resolution 3D imaging and sophisticated instrument control.

This is the first time that a single medical institution, either in Korea or abroad, has reached 50,000 robotic surgeries. Severance Hospital, which was the first in Korea to introduce robotic surgery in 2005, recorded 10,000 cases in 2013, 20,000 in 2018, 30,000 in 2021, and 40,000 in 2024. The milestone of 50,000 cases was reached just 28 months after hitting 40,000.

Currently, Severance Hospital owns 12 surgical robots and two for educational purposes. Of these, five are Single Port models, the largest number in Korea, which require only a single incision. Single Port robotic surgery is advantageous for operations in narrow and deep areas, such as thyroid and oral cancer resections, and because it involves just one incision, patients experience less pain and scarring, resulting in higher satisfaction.

The share of Single Port surgeries has also increased significantly. When Single Port was first introduced in 2018, it accounted for just 2% of all robotic surgeries, including Multi Port procedures. By 2024, this figure had risen to 40%, and as of this month, it stands at 47%.

At Severance Hospital, robotic surgeries are performed across a wide range of clinical departments, including urology, thyroid and endocrine surgery, gastrointestinal surgery, otorhinolaryngology, colorectal surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery, thoracic surgery, and breast surgery. According to surgery statistics by department, surgical specialties accounted for 48% of all cases, with thyroid and endocrine surgery representing 26% of the total and more than half of the surgical specialties. Urology followed with a high proportion of 34%, while otorhinolaryngology (10%) and obstetrics and gynecology (6%) trailed behind.

According to a study published last year in the international journal 'Journal of Robotic Surgery', Yonsei University published the highest number of research papers on robotic surgery in the world, with 196 papers between 2014 and 2023. Since 2008, more than 2,300 doctors from 43 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, and Japan, have completed training in robotic surgery at Severance Hospital.

Kangyoung Lee, President of Severance Hospital, stated, "Achieving 50,000 robotic surgeries is more than just a number; it is the result of prioritizing patient safety and treatment outcomes," adding, "We will continue to strengthen personalized precision medicine based on advanced surgical technology and clinical expertise."

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