The Catholic University of Korea's Seoul St. Mary's Hospital announced on the 11th that it reached 20,000 robotic surgeries last month. Having achieved 10,000 robotic surgeries in the shortest period domestically in 2022, the hospital performed an additional 10,000 cases in just over four years, emerging as a global hub for robotic surgery.
Robotic surgery is a minimally invasive procedure performed by precisely controlling robotic arms. It reduces bleeding and pain while accelerating recovery, leading to high patient satisfaction. Among the latest techniques, single-port robotic surgery involves inserting a single-port device through one incision, followed by a high-performance 3D camera and miniature robotic instruments. While it demands a higher level of skill than conventional multi-incision methods due to the difficulty of securing visibility and maneuvering instruments, it is considered effective for performing precise surgery on deep lesions.
Seoul St. Mary's Hospital performed approximately 20% (3,798 cases) of its total 20,000 robotic surgeries as single-port procedures. As of 2024, 73% of its single-port robotic surgeries were used for cancer treatment, significantly exceeding the domestic average of 39%. In the field of kidney cancer, for example, the hospital actively performs partial nephrectomy using single-port robotic surgery. Because the kidney has abundant blood flow, it is critical to precisely excise only the cancerous tissue within a short time while the connected blood vessels are temporarily blocked. Hong Sung-hoo, director of the Robotic Surgery Center and professor of urology, has achieved 2,900 robotic surgeries, including 900 personal cases of single-port urological robotic surgery — the first in the Asia-Pacific region. He focuses on effectively removing cancer while preserving kidney function to the greatest extent possible, thereby lowering the risk of post-surgical dialysis. Beyond urology, each department — including obstetrics and gynecology, otolaryngology, and colorectal surgery — has adopted the latest single-port robotic techniques tailored to its specialty, significantly contributing to improving patients' post-surgical quality of life. By department, urology accounted for the largest share of robotic surgeries performed at Seoul St. Mary's Hospital with 7,694 cases (38%), followed by obstetrics and gynecology with 6,166 cases (31%), general surgery with 5,572 cases (28%), otolaryngology with 450 cases (3%), and thoracic surgery with 101 cases (1%).
The 20,000th robotic surgery was performed on a patient with primary aldosteronism who had been under long-term observation. Primary aldosteronism is a condition in which the adrenal glands, endocrine organs located above both kidneys, excessively secrete aldosterone hormone, causing uncontrolled hypertension, hypokalemia, and electrolyte imbalance. Medication alone cannot fundamentally resolve the condition, and if left untreated, the risk of cardiovascular complications is high, making surgical resection the recommended definitive treatment. The patient underwent a posterior retroperitoneal adrenalectomy using a single-port robot, performed by Kim Kwang-soon, professor of thyroid and endocrine surgery, and was discharged in good health after recovering in just one day. The single-port robotic posterior retroperitoneal adrenalectomy approaches the adrenal gland directly from the back rather than through the abdomen. Because it does not disturb intra-abdominal organs, the procedure requires no fasting and offers the advantages of less pain and faster recovery.
The hospital plans to use this 20,000-case milestone as a springboard to emerge as a global hub leading next-generation robotic surgery education and research.
"The number 20,000 is not merely a statistic, but the accumulated result of the trust of 20,000 patients who relied on Seoul St. Mary's Hospital and stepped onto the operating table over 17 years, and the dedication of medical staff who strived to honor that trust," Hong said. "We plan to continue investing to provide patients with the best surgical environment by steadily expanding our next-generation robotic systems."
