Hallym University Kangnam Sacred Heart Hospital

Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital successfully completed the 100th robotic surgery in the shortest period of time in Korea on August 19, 2015. These excellent achievements were made four months after the ‘da Vinci Xi’, the fourth generation robotic surgical system was introduced on March 18, 2015. 58 robotic assisted surgeries were conducted at the department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, which recorded the highest, followed by 22 cases in Urology, 19 in General Surgery and 1 in Otorhinolaryngology/Head & Neck Surgery.

The ‘da Vinci Xi’ helps surgeons to do a minimally invasive surgery, leaving much smaller scars. Through this advanced surgical system, patients now experience less pain and fast recovery. As it eliminates natural hand tremors, it can minimize the blood loss and allows precision and control for delicate operations.

Since ‘da Vinci Xi’ was first unveiled to the world in 2014, more complex surgeries are now possible with more enhanced function, compared to the ‘da Vinci Si’. The newest model has four robotic arms that can move with a wider range of motion from version’s 149° to 177°, allowing surgeons to operate more easily without change in the position of the robot. The robot has 5cm longer arms and 6cm thicker. As a result, ‘da Vinci Xi’ enables surgeons to operate with enhanced vision, precision and control.

By Ji Hee Hwang, Int’l Cooperation Team, HUMC (jihee@hallym.or.kr)