Not Just Weight Loss, But Healthier Living!

43-Year-Old Man Loses 36 kg in Three Months After Surgery

“100 Cases in 100 Days” —

CMUH's Hugo Robotic Arm Helps Severely Obese

With the widespread prevalence of refined diets and sedentary lifestyles in modern society, obesity and metabolic diseases have become increasingly serious health concerns in Taiwan. According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s Health Promotion Administration, approximately 10 million adults in Taiwan are overweight, meaning one in every two adults is overweight.

Mr. Wang, 43, had long suffered from morbid obesity. Before surgery, he weighed 178 kg with a BMI of 56.1, and he also suffered from diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and severe obstructive sleep apnea, requiring long-term medication management. He admitted, "I used to get severely out of breath just climbing stairs. At night, my family often worried about my breathing stopping while I slept. My quality of life was really poor."

After a thorough evaluation and professional recommendation by the Body Science & Metabolic Disorders International (BMI) Medical Center team, Mr. Wang underwent a sleeve gastrectomy assisted by the Hugo robotic arm system. Within three months, he lost 36 kg, with a significant drop in BMI. Doctors have since assessed that he no longer needs diabetes or hypertension medications, and his sleep apnea symptoms have notably improved. Mr. Wang smiled and said, "Now that I weigh less, walking, climbing stairs, and sleeping are all much easier—it feels like a new life."

Dr. Chih-Kun Huang, Superintendent of the BMI Medical Center at CMUH, stated that with the rising incidence of obesity and metabolic diseases in Asia, there are now more options for metabolic surgery. Many people try various weight loss methods but often experience the "yo-yo effect," with weight rebounding to levels higher than before. To provide safer and more effective surgical options, CMUH introduced the latest generation Hugo Robotic-Assisted Surgery System in February 2025. Equipped with high-resolution 3D imaging, a flexible multi-joint robotic arm, and an open surgical console, the Hugo system reduces postoperative pain by about 30% compared to traditional laparoscopic surgery, shortens hospital stays to 1–2 days, and promotes faster recovery.

Dr. Der-Yang Cho, Superintendent of CMUH, highlighted that the BMI Medical Center completed 100 metabolic surgeries in under 100 days, setting a global record for "100 cases in 100 days." The center also achieved a world record by performing six surgeries within ten hours using the Hugo system. Superintendent Huang, recognized for his outstanding clinical outcomes and surgical skills, earned official Medtronic certification, becoming the fourth internationally certified Hugo robotic metabolic surgery instructor in the Asia-Pacific region and the first in Taiwan.

Beyond metabolic surgery, the Hugo robotic system is also widely applied in minimally invasive surgeries for urology, colorectal surgery, and general surgery, with plans to expand into more specialties in the future, offering patients more treatment options. CMUH plans to perform approximately 1,000 to 1,500 metabolic surgeries annually, with over 250 of these utilizing robotic-assisted surgery, aiming to shorten patient wait times and help more individuals regain healthy lives.