INCHEON — Urological surgery that once required several openings in the abdomen can now be performed through a single incision at the navel. Incheon Sejong Hospital has introduced the fourth-generation da Vinci SP system for treating urological conditions.
Single-port surgery involves making one incision at the navel and inserting a robotic arm and camera through it, the hospital said on the 14th. Three-dimensional high-definition imaging and multi-jointed instruments allow precise operations even within the narrow pelvic cavity. The hospital said the smaller incision reduces bleeding compared with conventional methods and eases the physical burden on elderly patients.
The system is used mainly for urological conditions including benign prostatic hyperplasia, urinary stones, kidney cysts and kidney cancer. The hospital opened a robotic surgery center in September 2023 and has since performed single-port procedures primarily in general surgery and obstetrics and gynecology. With the expansion into urology, it has now established a robotic surgery system across its surgical departments.
Standard treatment for urological conditions, however, varies with each patient's condition. Medication and extracorporeal shock wave therapy come first for early-stage benign prostatic hyperplasia or simple stones. That is why careful patient selection matters more than defaulting to robotic surgery, which is expensive and not covered by national health insurance.
"Robotic surgery is not applied uniformly to every patient," said Kim Si-hyun, head of the urology department at Incheon Sejong Hospital. Kim added, "The most suitable treatment must be chosen by considering the patient's overall condition and the size of the lesion, among other factors."
