Korea University Guro Hospital broadcasts robotic thoracic surgery to U.S. medical teams

Professor Kim Hyun-gu of Korea University Guro Hospital has conducted live broadcasts of single-port (SP) robotic thoracic surgeries for medical professionals in the United States. Utilizing the ‘Intuitive Hub’ system, the live sessions allowed surgeons from prestigious institutions, including the Cleveland Clinic and Columbia University Irving Medical Center, to observe real-time procedures for lung cancer and thymoma.

Single-port robotic surgery involves inserting surgical instruments through a single incision, a technique that requires high precision due to the narrow space between ribs. Professor Kim, who has surpassed 500 cumulative SP robotic thoracic surgery cases, shared technical expertise, surgical steps, and clinical considerations via video and audio communication with the participating U.S. medical teams.

Korea University Guro Hospital was designated as a ‘Single-Port Robotic Thoracic Surgery Training Center’ in 2023. Over the past three years, approximately 70 medical professionals have visited the center for training, with international practitioners accounting for 77% of visitors. The implementation of remote live surgery broadcasting is expected to expand the hospital's capacity to provide global medical education without requiring international staff to travel to South Korea.