Robotic surgery is approaching the standards of modern medicine.

From orthopedic surgery and thoracic surgery to oncology and organ transplantation, the application of robots is gradually changing the way treatment is carried out at many medical facilities in Vietnam, opening up a more precise, less invasive approach and approaching modern global medical standards.

Doctors at Hanoi Medical University Hospital are deploying a robotic system in total knee replacement surgery. Photo: Provided by the hospital.

For a long time now, robots have no longer been a foreign concept in Vietnamese medicine. From central hospitals to some major training and treatment facilities, surgical robots are gradually being introduced into clinical practice, marking an important shift from traditional surgery to high-tech surgery based on data, images, and superior accuracy.

One of the recent milestones is the deployment of a robotic system to assist in total knee replacement surgery at Hanoi Medical University Hospital. For patients with severe osteoarthritis of the knee and complex limb deformities, the robot acts as the surgeon's "eyes and ears," helping to reconstruct anatomical images in real time and assisting in the placement of the artificial joint with very low error. As a result, the surgery becomes more precise, the level of invasiveness is reduced, and the patient's recovery process is significantly shortened.

According to Associate Professor Dr. Dao Xuan Thanh, Deputy Director of Hanoi Medical University Hospital, in traditional joint replacement surgery, accurately determining the bone axis and soft tissue balance depends heavily on the surgeon's personal experience. Robotic assistance helps standardize technical parameters and individualize treatment for each patient, thereby improving the safety and durability of the artificial joint after surgery.

Robots are playing an increasingly prominent role not only in orthopedics but also in complex surgical specialties. At Tam Anh General Hospital, the Da Vinci Xi robot has been used in surgical removal of tumors located in "hard-to-reach" positions within the chest – an area containing many important anatomical structures such as the esophagus, trachea, and major blood vessels. With the flexible rotation of the robot arm and the magnifying imaging system, surgeons can access areas where conventional endoscopic methods are limited, reducing the risk of unintended damage.

A new trend attracting particular attention from experts is the combination of surgical robots and artificial intelligence (AI). Associate Professor Pham Van Binh, Deputy Director of K Hospital, said that AI is helping surgical robots move beyond the role of "following commands," becoming intelligent systems capable of analyzing and supporting decision-making during surgery. In some fields, AI can help differentiate between cancerous and healthy tissue with very high accuracy, helping surgeons optimize cutting paths and preserve healthy tissue as much as possible.

In the field of organ transplantation – one of the pinnacles of surgery – robots are also expected to open up new advancements. Dr. Le Trung Hieu, Deputy Director of the Organ Transplantation Center (Military Central Hospital 108), said that initial data shows that robotic surgery helps reduce blood loss, decrease the need for blood transfusions, and reduce the risk of post-operative infection. These benefits are particularly significant in liver transplantation – where strict requirements are needed in terms of both technique and safety for both the donor and recipient.

However, experts frankly acknowledge that robots are not a "magic wand" to replace humans. The effectiveness of robotic surgery largely depends on the surgeon's skill level, training processes, quality control, and the ability to selectively access the technology. Investment in medical robots needs to be linked to human resource development strategies, scientific research, and technology transfer, avoiding superficial approaches or excessive commercialization.

In this context, the gradual application of robots in many medical facilities in Vietnam shows a clear trend: medicine is shifting from "experience-based surgery" to "data- and technology-based surgery." This change will not happen overnight, but more precise surgeries and faster patient recovery are evidence of the quiet but persistent transformation of Vietnamese healthcare in the high-tech era.

Duc Tran

Source: https://daidoanket.vn/phau-thuat-robot-tien-gan-chuan-y-hoc-hien-dai.html