Seoul St. Mary's Hospital and Intuitive Sign Asia's First 'Robotic Surgery Program Training Center' Agreement

Yoon Seung-gyu, Director of Seoul St. Mary's Hospital (left), and Choi Yong-beom, CEO of Intuitive Korea, are taking a commemorative photo after signing a business agreement.

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] Catholic University Seoul St. Mary's Hospital announced on the 30th that it has signed a business agreement with Intuitive Surgical, the manufacturer of the da Vinci robotic surgical system, to be designated as the first 'Robotic Surgery Program Training Center' in Asia.

Through this agreement, both institutions agreed to cooperate in the development of robotic surgery and the education and training of medical staff. Seoul St. Mary's Hospital will provide mentoring to medical institutions and personnel starting robotic surgery for the first time, and Intuitive will provide digital product guides related to education and training to help Seoul St. Mary's Hospital operate a more systematic robotic surgery program.

Since opening the Robotic Surgery Center in May 2010, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital has actively performed robotic surgeries using the 4th generation da Vinci Xi and SP systems on various sites including prostate cancer, bladder cancer, kidney cancer, stomach cancer, colon cancer, thyroid cancer, uterine fibroids, gynecologic cancers, oral cancer, and lung cancer. In October 2013, it opened the 'Robotic Surgery Training Center,' the first in Korea equipped with da Vinci robot, laparoscopic, endoscopic surgery simulators, and dry labs, nurturing highly skilled medical personnel every year.

Hospital Director Yoon Seung-gyu said, “If it were not for the excellent skills and courage of Korean medical staff in Asia, which was a barren land for robotic surgery, growth like the current one would have been impossible,” adding, “Through this partnership, we hope that the Robotic Surgery Center at Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, which has accumulated years of operational know-how, will establish itself as a global leader and serve as a model for many medical institutions.”

Henry Charlton, Global Business Head of Intuitive, said, “Seoul St. Mary's Hospital has a very long history in education and innovation and is recognized worldwide,” and added, “We thank the staff of Seoul St. Mary's Hospital for their collaboration and leadership, and we believe that the ‘Robotic Surgery Program Training Center,’ designated as the first in Asia, will be recognized by medical institutions across Asia and around the world.”