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Since the beginning of February, an innovative surgical robot at the University Medical Center Freiburg has been enabling minimally invasive procedures with maximum precision / first clinical use in Baden-Württemberg

Precise and gentle: the University Medical Center Freiburg is the first clinical institution in Baden-Württemberg to use the modern da Vinci "Single Port" system, a highly developed surgical robot to support minimally invasive procedures. With the new system, a further development of the robotic technology used at the University Medical Center Freiburg since 2020, operations can now be performed through a single access point - either via a small skin incision or natural body openings. The aim is to further reduce stress for patients, accelerate healing and enable complex procedures in hard-to-reach anatomical areas.

"The new system not only allows us to perform complex procedures more precisely, but also more ergonomically. This is an important step towards further developing minimally invasive surgery and offering patients the best possible care," says Prof. Dr. Christian Gratzke, Medical Director of the Department of Urology at the Freiburg University Medical Center, who successfully performed the first operation with the new system on 3 February 2025. "In particular, we can operate in much smaller anatomical areas and thus work even more gently. Patients will also be able to leave the hospital earlier after the procedure."

Precision and safety

Surgical robots do not work autonomously, but are precisely controlled by specially trained doctors, who operate the instruments and camera via a console. The new system extends the existing robot technology with a single-port approach. It was specially developed for procedures where conventional systems reach their limits - such as operations in confined anatomical spaces. Surgical instruments and a camera can be inserted into the body with an access of only around 4 cm. The 3D imaging provides high-resolution views, while the ergonomic controls reduce the strain on the surgical team. In addition to precision, the focus is on safety: the patient trolley and flexible instruments are designed to enable precise movements and maximize tissue protection.

Wide range of applications

The new system is used in various specialist areas at the University Medical Center Freiburg: in the Department of Urology, the Department of Thoracic Surgery (Medical Director: Prof. Dr. Bernward Passlick), the Department of General and Visceral Surgery (Medical Director: Prof. Dr. Stefan Fichtner-Feigl) and the Department of Gynaecology (Medical Director: Prof. Dr. Ingolf Juhasz-Böss).

Image: The first operation with the new da Vinci "Single Port" system was successfully performed at the University Medical Center Freiburg at the beginning of February.

Image source: University Medical Center Freiburg