On December 10, the Binh Dan Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City inaugurated the first robot-assisted surgery centre in Vietnam, allowing doctors to introduce and apply advanced technologies in minimal-access surgery to benefit patients.

The robot is really just a very sophisticated surgical tool, says Dr Tran Vinh Hung, the hospital director. The bottom line is that it is still the skill of the surgeon, working with the tool, that gets the best result.

Originally developed by the US military, the surgical robot was designed to allow complex surgery to be performed on a wounded soldier by a surgeon at a console in a hospital remote from the battlefield.

Robot-assisted surgery is an extension of laparoscopic surgery, a minimal-access approach that allows surgeons to perform operations using scopes and instruments inserted through several small incisions.

The robot adds enhanced vision and control and consists of several components, including an ergonomically designed console, four interactive robotic arms, and a three-dimensional, high-definition vision system.

The latest-generation da Vinci® SI dual-console surgical systems can be used for both training and collaborative surgeries, said Dr Hung, adding it also allows patients to access the latest in hi-tech treatment in Vietnam, which is much less expensive than going abroad.

Initially, the hospital will use robot in treating cancers such as prostate gland cancer, kidney cancer, bladder cancer, colorectal cancer, lung cancer, cutting bile duct follicle.

VOV