The Vietnam National Pediatrics Hospital expects to raise the number of robot-assisted endoscopic surgeries to 100 by the end of 2014, with the costs likely to be much lower than similar cases in developed countries. The Hanoi-based hospital on June 4 successfully performed a robot-assisted endoscopic surgery on a 23-month child hospitalized with a swollen abdomen, the 17th case since it began to apply the new technique three months ago. The latest surgery took few hours and the patient has recovered well. The first robotic surgeries will be free while the future ones will be charged between VND50 million ($2,360) and VND70 million (3,300) each, compared to an estimated cost of $30,000 in developed countries. On Feb 27, the hospital opened the Center for Applying Robotic System in Endoscopic Surgery, becoming the first among the Vietnamese hospitals to offer robotic surgery. Dr. Pham Duy Hien, deputy head of the hospital’s Surgery Ward, who was the major surgeon of the surgery on June 4, said robot-assisted endoscopic surgery is very effective to those suffering from bile duct cyst, bile duct atrophy, kidney cyst, inborn large intestine aneurism, coronary artery aneurism and many other heart disorders. Advanced robotic systems give doctors greater control and vision during surgery, allowing them to perform safe, less invasive, and precise surgical procedures, Dr. Hien said. During such operations, surgeons operate from a console equipped with two master controllers that maneuver four robotic arms. By viewing a high-definition 3D image on the console, the surgeon is able to see the surgical procedure better than before. Computer software takes the place of actual hand movements and can make movements very precise, he explained. Dr. Hien said the hospital has not seen any problems to the robotic-assisted surgeries performed since February and all of the child patients have recovered well. (Hanoimoi.com.vn June, Nhan Dan – The People July 4)
