Dresden University Hospital uses surgical robot "Hugo" in urology for the first time

Artificial helper to ensure more precise operations

Dresden, 18 October 2023. He has many arms, is often surrounded by blue coats and makes people healthy again: Hugo. He belongs to a new generation of medical robots that are now also helping with operations at Dresden University Hospital (UKD). The Dresden surgeons have now been the first in Germany to successfully use their „Hugo Ras“ in a urological operation. This ground-breaking development opens up new possibilities for medicine, research and training,says the UKD physicians.

„Milestone for medicine in Germany“

During the operation, a human surgeon with Hugo's support removed the prostate from a 78-year-old patient. This step marks a milestone for medicine in Germany, according to the UKD. There are currently 48 of these devices in Europe and a total of five in Germany, although so far they have only been used in visceral surgery and not in urology. Specifically in Dresden, Hugo complements the existing Da Vinci surgical robots.

Innovation in Dresden's university medicine

This advanced robot „takes Dresden's university medicine to a new surgical level“, says Saxony's Science Minister Sebastian Gemkow (CDU). As they now have the choice between the older „Da Vincis“ and the „Hugo“, doctors can decide which robot to use depending on the individual findings of their patient and the location of the surgical field in the body. The Hugo has four highly customisable arms and an open console. In contrast, the surgeon operates the four arms of the operating theatre robot „Da Vinci“ üvia a separate console away from the operating table.

Also AI use planned

„The robotic diversity at one location enables us to expand our expertise,

says Prof Christian Thomas, Director of the Department of Urology. „We want to offer training in the use of the Hugo in the future and are also researching the integration of artificial intelligence in its use.“

Compared to older surgical robots, the 1.7 million euro Hugo from the company „Medtronic“ offers doctors a number of improvements. It enables a high-resolution 3D view via an open console without impairing situational awareness during the operation," according to a UKD assessment. „The controller allows surgeons to control instruments on four arms in a variety of scales. The interactive display offers a high-resolution view of the surgical field, while additional video outputs enable connection to an existing operating theatre display system.

So far, the Dresden surgeons have mainly used the robot in abdominal and pelvic surgery.

Article of the "Oiger" from 18 October 2023