Severance Hospital Opens World's First 'SP Robot Surgery Epicenter'

Da Vinci Manufacturer Intuitive, Designated as the World's First

[Asia Economy Reporter Jihee Kim] Yonsei University Severance Hospital announced on the 16th that it has been designated as the world's first SP Robot Surgery Epicenter.

At the Epicenter, qualified robot surgery specialized hospitals and institutions receive official certification from Intuitive, the manufacturer of the da Vinci system, and undergo global training programs to enable more medical professionals to demonstrate optimal robotic surgical skills. While existing Epicenters provide training on the da Vinci systems (S, Si, Xi, X), the new SP Epicenter specializes in advanced robotic surgery using the SP (Single Port) robotic surgical system.

Intuitive designated Severance Hospital, which has expertise in robotic surgery and advanced medical facilities, as the SP Epicenter. Experienced medical staff at Severance Hospital serve as mentors, and trainees receive education through surgical observation and discussions.

On the 15th, Yonsei University Severance Hospital and Intuitive held an opening ceremony for the SP Epicenter in the hospital director’s office conference room. The event was attended by Ha Jongwon, Director of Severance Hospital; Min Byungso, Director of the Robot Endoscopic Surgery Center; and Kim Jonggon, Executive Director of Intuitive Korea. Glenn Verboso, Senior Vice President of Intuitive, also participated online. The ceremony included presentations on the vision and operational direction of the SP Epicenter, as well as a plaque unveiling.

Ha Jongwon, Director of Severance Hospital, stated, "As we approach the milestone of 30,000 robotic surgeries worldwide, we have established a close cooperative relationship with Intuitive once again to create a win-win opportunity. With the dawn of a new era in robotic surgery, both institutions will jointly lead the advancement of robotic surgery domestically and internationally by pursuing not only clinical, research, and academic achievements but also derivative and sustainable values."

Executive Director Kim Junwoo said, "We believe that the designation of this Epicenter will serve as an opportunity to lead the development of single-port robotic surgery not only in Korea but globally. Intuitive will spare no effort to advance robotic surgery through support for training medical professionals and technological development, ensuring more patients receive the best surgeries and improve their quality of life."

Meanwhile, Severance Hospital was the first in Korea to introduce and perform surgeries using the Intuitive SP (Single Port) model, which was launched in Korea as the second country after the United States in 2018, and added one more SP system in 2019. Last year, it became the first single medical institution worldwide to achieve 1,000 surgeries using the SP system.

In particular, the Department of Thyroid and Endocrine Surgery, designated as the specialized field of the SP Epicenter, performs all surgical methods using single-port robotic surgery for the first time worldwide. Severance Hospital actively utilizes SP robotic surgery in various fields including otolaryngology, obstetrics and gynecology, urology, hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery, breast surgery, and plastic surgery, and plans to gradually expand the clinical departments participating in the Epicenter in the future.