The past, present and future of robotic surgery is written with an “i” for innovation. In recent decades, the development and use of laparoscopic surgery techniques has represented what is, without a doubt, one of the most important technological advances in the field of medicine. Robotic surgery began to develop with prototypes in the 80s and 90s until the Da Vinci emerged in 1999.
Their greater precision, 3D vision and faster patient recovery explain why these systems have revolutionized medicine and have represented a radical change compared to traditional open surgeries. They give good proof of this at the Rey Juan Carlos University Hospital, which is the first public hospital in Madrid to have three Da Vinci robots.
The last model that has been incorporated has been the DV5being the first hospital in Spain to perform surgery with this version, urological type. This system has also been pioneeringly installed at the Quirónsalud Madrid University Hospital and the Jiménez Díaz Foundation University Hospital, a center that also now has three Da Vinci.
«The evolution since the program began in 2012 with the Da Vinci Si (and after more than 3,200 interventions) has been very significant and has come hand in hand with both clinical experience and technological advance,” explains Dr. Miguel Sánchez Encinas, head of the Urology Service at the Rey Juan Carlos University Hospital.
“We are pioneers in the country in performing urological surgery with the new DV5 robot”
Today, the technical limitations of the aforementioned model are overcome. Thus, “the progressive incorporation of new models – continues the specialist – has allowed more versatile and efficient surgeries: it facilitates the change of surgical fields without interruptions, essential for some interventions such as colon cancer, better mobility of the arms and a more advanced vision of the operating field.”
“In addition, the integration of technologies such as visualization of the vascularization and perfusion of organs using fluorescence, together with new vascular sealing devices and endostaplers, has significantly increased surgical safety,” adds Dr. Manuel Durán Poveda, head of the General Surgery and Digestive System Service at the Rey Juan Carlos University Hospital.
Today interventions are more precise and less aggressive. And shorter too. The data show that the average time of interventions has been reduced by 275 to less than 184 minutes.
«Thanks to the experience of the team, operation times are reduced»
This is largely due to the ‘experience of the team. When a group works in a stable, multidisciplinary way and with sufficient volume, times are reduced naturally without losing quality or safety. Technological advancement also helps. The new models are more intuitive, allow faster instrument changes and offer better ergonomics for the surgeon. But without a trained team, well-defined protocols and a culture of continuous improvement, technology alone would not be enough,” explains Dr. Sánchez Encinas.
Advances such as vision with special light (Firefly) or new sealing clamps (Vessel Sealer) “increase the surgical safety», says Dr. Durán Poveda. Thus, as both specialists explain, Firefly vision allows you to see tissue perfusion in real time, which helps make more precise decisions during the operation, such as in the removal of kidney tumors. For their part, instruments such as the Vessel Sealer allow vessels to be sealed very quickly and effectively, which reduces bleeding and the risk of complications. For the patient, this means a faster recovery. Hence, operations of extremely high technical difficulty and highly complex processes, such as a nephrectomy with thrombus, can be performed entirely robotically.
Its use in pediatric surgery
And, Pediatric Surgery has been added to the five specialties in which robotic surgery is used in this hospital (Urology, General and Digestive Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynecology), which demonstrates, as both experts agree, “the maturity of the program and the hospital’s ability to adapt to new challenges.”
Of course, Urology continues to be the most active specialty in the program. And it is that “in prostate cancer, robotic surgery allows us to remove the tumor with precision, better preserving key structures for urinary continence and sexual function, which positively impacts the patient’s quality of life,” explains Sánchez Encinas.
date: 2026-01-06 02:17:00