Vietnam achieves first two-way remote robotic surgery milestone
VOV.VN - Vietnam has launched its first two-way remote robotic surgery network, allowing specialists to perform operations across hospitals without patients having to travel to major medical centres.
The Vinmec Healthcare System announced on August 3 that it had successfully operated the country’s first two-way remote robotic surgery network linking Vinmec Smart City International Hospital in Hanoi and Vinmec Can Tho International General Hospital.
Unlike earlier one-way remote robotic surgery systems, the new network allows each hospital to function both as a remote control centre and as the location where surgery is performed, creating an integrated surgical network operating under the same clinical standards.
Medical experts said the milestone marks a shift from simply acquiring advanced medical technology to building the capability to operate it across an interconnected healthcare network, enabling specialist expertise to be delivered digitally rather than requiring patients to travel.
First surgeries completed in both directions
The network’s inaugural procedures were carried out with surgeons controlling robotic systems from opposite locations.
In the first operation, specialists at Vinmec Smart City remotely controlled the robotic system while the surgical team at Vinmec Can Tho performed surgery on a 15-year-old girl diagnosed with a right ovarian dermoid cyst.
The robot’s high-definition magnified imaging and highly articulated robotic arms enabled surgeons to remove the tumor precisely and preserve as much healthy ovarian tissue as possible, helping maintain the patient’s hormonal function and future fertility.
In the second case, the operating direction was reversed. A 42-year-old man diagnosed with left liver cancer underwent minimally invasive surgery involving a left hepatectomy combined with gallbladder removal. Surgeons at Vinmec Can Tho remotely controlled the robotic system while the patient and surgical team were located at Vinmec Smart City, marking Vietnam’s first reverse-direction remote robotic surgery between two medical centers.
Building an interconnected surgical network
According to Dr. Le Hoang Vinh, director of Vinmec Can Tho, the greatest value of the new model lies not only in robotic technology itself but also in its ability to standardise clinical expertise across the healthcare system.
The successful two-way robotic surgeries represent an important step toward operating advanced medical technology on a network scale, ensuring patients receive consistent standards of care regardless of which Vinmec hospital they visit, he said.
Dr. Vinh noted that robotic surgery and remote robotic surgery are becoming major trends in modern surgery worldwide, particularly for complex procedures and operations involving difficult-to-access anatomical areas.
To expand access to advanced medical technology in Vietnam's Mekong Delta, Vingroup and the Vinmec Healthcare System have established a VND280 billion (approximately US$10.7 million) medical support fund.
Eligible patients can receive full support for robotic surgery costs, paying only the equivalent of a conventional surgical procedure.
Bringing specialists to patients
Associate Professor Dr. Hoang Quoc Cuong, director of Can Tho’s Department of Health, said remote robotic surgery represents a new approach to delivering highly specialized healthcare.
Instead of requiring patients to travel to major medical centres, specialists can now participate directly in surgeries from afar, and patients receive treatment closer to home.
He said the model aligns with Vietnam's strategy to promote science, technology, innovation and healthcare modernisation under the Politburo’s Resolutions 57 and 72.
Dr. Cuong also called for continued investment in digital infrastructure, backup communication systems, medical equipment and workforce training to ensure the safety of remote robotic surgery.
He further proposed establishing a high-tech surgical training centre in Can Tho to develop a regional robotic surgery hub for the Mekong Delta and strengthen the capabilities of doctors, nurses and biomedical engineers.
Bach Mai Hospital campus 2 urged to become modern healthcare model
VOV.VN - Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Van Thang has called on the newly inaugurated Bach Mai Hospital’s Ninh Binh Campus to become a model of modern, high-quality health care, emphasising digital transformation, medical excellence and patient-centred services.
