SNUH successfully operates on difficult ovarian cancer with the Hugo robot

Seoul National University Hospital (SNUH) said Tuesday that it has successfully performed the first high-risk ovarian cancer surgery in Korea using the Hugo robotic-assisted surgery (RAS)system.

The surgery is recognized as a significant medical achievement, as the Hugo robot enabled accurate staging and optimal treatment planning, providing precise and safe surgery.

Ovarian cancer is a complicated disease to diagnose because it has few early symptoms and is often detected when the cancer is already advanced. Surgery is a crucial step in determining the exact stage of ovarian cancer so that a personalized treatment plan can be developed. After surgery, additional treatments, such as chemotherapy and targeted therapy, may be required, depending on the patient's condition.

In this case, the surgery included a hysterectomy, salpingo-oophorectomy, salpingectomy, and pelvic lymphadenectomy, which allowed for a quick recovery and efficient treatment. The patient was discharged from the hospital three days after surgery in good health and showed a rapid recovery.

SNUH maximized the accuracy and efficiency of the surgery with the Hugo RAS system. The robotic system's precise movements and optimized surgical pathways made it possible to perform the surgery efficiently, especially in intra-pelvic surgery. Robotic surgery also minimized wound size and pain and enabled a quick recovery.

“Ovarian cancer surgery using the Hugo robot is a rare case in the world, and it is even more significant because there has never been a case of ovarian cancer surgery including a large salpingectomy reported to date,” said Professor Lee Maria of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. “We hope that this surgery will expand the scope of robotic surgery to various gynecological cancer surgeries and provide accurate and safe treatment to more patients.”