In September this year, Mr. Kim (64), who visited Ain Hospital in Incheon complaining of abdominal pain, was diagnosed with bilateral inguinal hernia and decided to undergo surgery. Inguinal hernia is a condition in which the intestine protrudes toward the groin, and conventional surgery carries a high risk of intraoperative bleeding. To address this, Han Seung-rim, a general surgeon and head of the General Surgery Center at Ain Hospital, completed the operation with almost no bleeding using robot-assisted surgery, in which three robotic arms are inserted through small incisions in the abdomen.

In October this year, Ms. Lee (46), whose hernia site had enlarged to 8 cm and had been refused surgery by several hospitals, also came to Ain Hospital. Han performed “abdominal wall reconstruction,” a procedure in which part of the abdominal wall is incised and then closed, using a robotic platform. Performing abdominal wall reconstruction with a robot is unprecedented worldwide, and Han plans to publish a paper soon detailing the surgical process and outcomes.

● “Widely promoting advanced robot-assisted surgery techniques”

As South Korea’s advanced level of robot-assisted surgery continues to attract attention in the global medical community, medical staff from Ain Hospital were recently invited to the Taiwan Robotic Surgery Association (TRSA) conference held in Taiwan, drawing interest. At the event, the team showcased South Korea’s advanced robot-assisted surgical techniques on the international stage.

In particular, Han, who in 2022 became the first in the world to successfully perform abdominal wall hernia repair using a single-port (SP) robotic surgical system, presented sophisticated surgical methods and access strategies that minimize bleeding and enable rapid recovery, receiving positive feedback from local medical professionals.

In abdominal wall and inguinal hernia surgery, the key is where to position the synthetic mesh that supports weakened structures. Because the procedure is performed in a confined space, it is considered challenging and requires highly precise visualization and accurate manipulation.

Han stated, “Single-port robot-assisted hernia surgery enhances patients’ quality of life and provides a more precise and efficient environment for medical staff,” adding, “Building on the global interest in South Korea’s single-port robot-assisted surgery, we will continue to promote Korean medical technology worldwide.”

● Korean medical community leading the development of robot-assisted surgery


South Korea is regarded as the country where robot-assisted surgery is most widely adopted worldwide. For this reason, countries such as those in Europe, as well as Japan and Taiwan, where robot-assisted surgery has begun to proliferate, are paying close attention to the Korean medical community. In particular, the single-port technique, known for its delicate and refined surgical capabilities, is widely viewed as an area in which Korean medicine is taking the lead.

Recently, medical teams from Italy, Spain, and the United States visited Ain Hospital in person to observe single-port robot-assisted thyroid cancer surgery. Lee Jin-uk, head of the Thyroid Cancer Center who performs these procedures, has also been invited to a leading medical society in the United States to present the surgical technique. In addition, robot-assisted surgeries for uterine fibroids, pelvic organ prolapse, and other conditions are being steadily performed.

Han commented, “To use a simple analogy, just as the game ‘StarCraft’ was created in the United States but Korean professional gamers are the best in the world, the same is true for single-port robot-assisted surgery,” adding, “As numerous leading experts in various single-port robot-assisted surgical fields are emerging from South Korea and playing a major role in global medicine, we will strive to contribute to medical advancement.”

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