Severance Hospital recognized as the world leading educator of the robotic surgery

-Intuitive, Severance Hospital designated as Intuitive Epicenter

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Intuitive Korea (hereinafter referred to as Intuitive) announced on March 16 that it designated Sin-chon Severance Hospital as Intuitive Epicenter.

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Intuitive Epicenter is a specific hospital or a doctor that specializes in robotic surgery, and is a training program Intuitive provides with to help more medical staff perform optimal skills.
A designated hospital or a doctor having advanced robotic surgery-related facilities and techniques with extensive experience becomes mentors, and education is conducted while invitees observe surgery and attend discussions.

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Severance Hospital introduced the Da Vinci robotic surgical device for the first time in Korea in 2005. In 2018, it was the first in Korea to introduce and perform an Intuitive single hole robotic surgery and to set a model. They have achieved 1,000 surgeries as the world's first.
In particular, at the Thyroid Endocrine Surgery Clinic, which was designated as the Intuitive Epicenter this time, all surgical procedures were performed through the Intuitive single hole robotic surgery as the world’s first.
Severance Hospital is actively leading the development of robotic surgery in the world, utilizing robotic surgery in various fields including otorhinolaryngology, obstetrics and gynecology, urology, hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery, breast surgery, and plastic surgery.

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The Intuitive single hole robotic surgical model is designed to allow deep access to human tissues even with a single narrow incision. All surgical procedures are performed under the guidance of a leading surgeon who controls the console.
During surgery, three surgical instruments and a camera come out through a single tube (cannula) mounted on the robotic arm. A surgeon performs surgery, moving those instruments in several directions near the surgical site.
For the first time in the Da Vinci robotic surgical machine, a joint function has been added to the camera, and the surgical instruments mounted on the robotic arm are equipped with a multi-joint function, enabling delicate and elaborate surgery.

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Junwoo Kim, Senior VP of Intuitive Korea's Clinical Sales Team, said, “Severance Hospital is equipped with medical staff's rich experience, high-quality techniques, and excellent robotic surgery-related facilities.” He also mentioned, “I think this designation as Epicenter will be an opportunity to lead the development of Intuitive single hole robotic surgery both domestically and globally.”
“Intuitive will continue to make efforts to develop technology and support training for medical staff for the development of robotic surgery so that more patients can receive the best surgery to improve their life quality.”  he added.

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Intuitive Epicenter operates 14 centers in total in Korea, which medical staff from other countries as well as in Korea are visiting to learn advanced robotic surgery techniques.
Currently, there are 6 obstetrics and gynecologists, 4 colon and anus surgeries, and 4 thyroid and endocrine surgeries on operation.