Debrecen4U April 15, 2025

The Da Vinci robot has been used for surgeries at the University of Debrecen for a year

The University of Debrecen Clinical Centre Surgical Clinic organised a scientific conference on the experiences gained since the launch of the Robotic Surgery Centre in April last year.

Exactly one year ago, the Da Vinci robot-assisted surgical system started operating at the University of Debrecen Clinical Centre. With its use, the risk of complications is reduced and recovery time is faster.

The robot-assisted technology was brought to the institution as a result of the University of Debrecen’s RRF educational development grant, with the financial contribution of UD’s Clinical Centre, and its acquisition has become one of the most significant technological advances in the history of the University of Debrecen.

Director of the Department of Surgery at UD’s Clinical Centre, Dezső Tóth  said at the opening of the event on Monday that although it was declared in the 18th century that the surgical profession had reached a perfect level, robotic surgery was not even dreamed of at that time.

“Surgery has reached a historic milestone in terms of precision and safety with the advent of robots. It is now possible to carry out a procedure from hundreds of kilometres away with maximum safety. At the University of Debrecen’s Department of Surgery, Da Vinci is used primarily for colorectal, gastric and pancreatic surgery, where its 3D vision and sophisticated movement are its greatest strengths,” Director of the Department of Surgery and Head of the Robotic Surgery Centre explained.

President of the Medical Doctoral Council and member of the Board of Trustees of the Foundation for the University of Debrecen, which is maintained by the University of Debrecen, György Balla, said in his speech that the past year has proven that the decision of the University of Debrecen was the right one, and that Da Vinci is a positive example that serves patients, helps doctors and puts Debrecen surgical care on the international map.

“The Surgical, Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Urology Clinics use the device to the same extent, with a total of 368 complex operations performed in one year, with oncological operations being the most common. The world-class technology allows the most complex operations to be performed, which were previously difficult to achieve. The success of the patient-friendly surgery programme is tangible, and hopefully the first year is just the beginning,” the professor said.

Chancellor Zoltán Bács recalled that the University of Debrecen started to think together about the introduction of robot-assisted technology at the end of 2021, at the end of which the institution decided to purchase the Da Vinci robot.

The arrival of the technology in Debrecen was the result of several years of preparation and a carefully considered decision. It is economically efficient, and in terms of its technical condition and its educational and medical usability, it is an excellent device. However, we are not stopping here, we would like to expand the system, including the introduction of robot-assisted technology in the field of orthopaedics. The system has been brought to the university mainly as a teaching tool, which is of great use in the surgical procedures. Universities and medical schools are the most important protective bastions of the Hungarian healthcare system, and UD  plays a key role in this,” the Chancellor stated.

Vice-Dean of Education of the Faculty of General Medicine, Norbert Németh emphasised in his welcome speech that modern knowledge is based on traditional technologies, of which the robotic surgery system is an excellent example.

“Impressive precision, tissue- and nerve-sparing technology is primarily for the benefit of patients and the safety of operations, but it is also of particular importance for training, giving professionals insight into how to integrate this knowledge into their practical work, and simulator stations for individual practice will become more accessible. I am confident that the tool can increasingly be put at the service of students’ knowledge and training. In terms of specificity, the fact that there are almost two robotic surgical procedures per working day is a significant achievement, which is competitive both nationally and internationally,” the Vice-Dean underlined.

At the symposium, the representative of Sofmedica, which distributes the Da Vinci system, Péter Torda informed the participants about the history of robotic surgery, Director of the Department of Surgery, Dezső Tóth about robotic surgery in surgery, Director of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology,  Zoárd Krasznai about gynecology, and Director of the Department of Urology, Tibor Flaskó about its role in urology.

They also heard presentations on robotic surgical milestones in visceral surgery, the results of assisted urological surgery and the anaesthesia experience of the Debrecen robot programme.

Source:dehir.hu | Photo credit:debrecen.hu