Gemelli Hospital launches first robotic telesurgery program in Italy

The Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS has launched a robotic telesurgery program in Rome, marking the first time Italian surgeons have performed remote robotic surgeries on Italian patients.

The initial experimental procedures involved the removal of a colorectal neoplasm and a prostate tumor. These operations were conducted using the Toumai Laparoscopic Surgical System by MicroPort MedBot, supported by Palex. The surgeons, Professors Sergio Alfieri and Bernardo Rocco, operated from a robotic console located at Ospedale Isola Tiberina, while the patients were positioned in operating rooms at Policlinico Gemelli, more than 10 kilometers away.

This first phase of the project aims to complete 20 interventions. The program seeks to network expertise and technology across Gemelli Group facilities and establish a foundation for future international collaborations in remote surgical procedures.