China Medical University Hospital introduced the third-generation Da Vinci surgical system in early 2012, marking a new era in minimally invasive surgery at the hospital. The Da Vinci robotic system provides surgeons with an intuitive 3D stereoscopic view, with tenfold magnification and high-resolution imaging. Combined with precision instruments featuring flexible, wrist-like micro-joints, it allows surgeons to perform various procedures, such as segmentation, resection, and reconstruction, through small incisions on the skin, reaching narrow and complex areas within the abdominal cavity.

In recent years, the Da Vinci robotic system has become widely utilized in specialties such as gynecology, urology, otolaryngology, colorectal surgery, thoracic surgery, general surgery, and cardiovascular surgery. It enables minimally invasive tumor resection and organ or tissue reconstruction with less bleeding, faster recovery, and higher precision. The Da Vinci Center at our hospital has accumulated nearly 5,000 cases, performing approximately 800 robotic-assisted surgeries annually, with numbers increasing every year. Patients include those from the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, Japan, Singapore, China, and Southeast Asia.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare has extended National Health Insurance coverage for Da Vinci surgeries, beginning with radical prostatectomy and partial nephrectomy. By 2023, 17 types of Da Vinci surgeries were included in the coverage, and in September 2024, the scope expanded to 63 procedures. These include esophageal reconstruction, nephrectomy, inguinal hernia repair, sleeve gastrectomy, gastric bypass, cholecystectomy, myomectomy, gynecological cancer surgeries, and heart valve repair or replacement.

The medical teams from the urology, obstetrics/gynecology, and colorectal surgery departments at our hospital have received international certification from the original Da Vinci system manufacturer. The hospital has become an observation center for Da Vinci surgeries involving urological tumors (kidney, bladder, prostate cancer), gynecological cancers, and colorectal cancers. Numerous domestic and international surgeons have visited for training and observation.

In 2021, our hospital introduced the latest fourth-generation Da Vinci surgical system and have acquired a third and fourth unit in early 2025 to serve more patients. With this advanced system, surgeons can operate with enhanced flexibility, significantly reducing surgical complications and offering patients an advanced minimally invasive surgical option with smaller wounds, less pain, reduced blood loss, and faster recovery.

Awards

• 2020 - 2025 SNQ National Quality Certification – Treatment of locally advanced prostate cancer using the Da Vinci robotic surgical system.
• 2020 - 2024 SNQ National Quality Certification – Robotic-assisted partial nephrectomy for high-risk kidney tumors.
• 2024 - 2025 SNQ National Quality Certification – Robotic radical cystectomy with neobladder reconstruction for advanced bladder cancer