Hallym University Hangang Sacred Heart Hospital

The da Vinci robot surgery center at Hallym University Kangnam Sacred Heart Hospital invited Dr. Daniel D. Eun from Temple University Hospital, the world’s famous doctor in the field of robotic surgery, to the ‘Robotic Prostate Cancer Live Surgery’ held on July 9. Dr. Eun personally assisted in or performed about 1,300 robotic surgeries during his residency and fellowship at the Henry Ford Hospital. He is currently serving as the Vice Chief of Robotic Surgery Center, Director of Minimally Invasive Robotic Urologic Oncology & Reconstruction Center and an Associate Professor of Clinical Urology at Temple University School of Medicine.

Dr. Eun performed the robotic prostate cancer surgery for two and a half hours in front of doctors. After the surgery, he lectured on the robotic surgery procedure that can reduce complications like incontinence or impotence by using various video materials. Doctors and nurses who are interested in robotic surgery joined the lecture and had discussion together. “The robotic surgery performance and the lecture have been a great opportunity for young doctors of Urology at Hallym University Medical Center to improve their surgical skills,” said Dr. Young Goo Lee, the director of Hallym University Kangnam Sacred Heart Hospital.

The robotic surgery system da Vinci Xi, which was used at the performance, can provide a 10 to 15 times magnified view with its camera and robot arms by making just a small hole in the body and putting the camera in, which makes the precise surgery possible. The minimally invasive surgery can greatly reduce complication rate as well as the recovery period of patients. When proceeding a surgery on prostate, the utmost precision is needed without disturbing any surrounding tissue in order to avoid the complications. The prostate, which has a size of a walnut, is located inside the pelvis, and using precise robotic surgery system can maximize the effect of the surgery even in the small space. The patient who had the surgery from Dr. Eun that day didn’t feel much pain after the operation, and is recovering fast.

The robotic surgery is one of the most well-known surgical procedures that symbolizes Hallym University Medical Center. Hallym is expanding its field of robotic surgery by succeeding high-level operations using the state-of-the-art robotic surgical system. Hallym is making its way around the world by cooperating with world-renowned doctors in the field of robotic surgery.

By Chul Kwon, Int’l Cooperation Team, HUMC (chris@hallym.or.kr)