Toyama University Hospital Comprehensive Cancer Center　

At the Robotic Surgery Center, we use a da Vinci surgical assistance robot to perform advanced surgeries that are safe, reliable, and gentle on the body, for patients being treated by other departments.

Robotic Surgery

In 2016, we began performing robotic surgery for prostate cancer, and introduced robotic surgery for kidney cancer in 2017. In 2019, we first offered robotic surgery for bladder cancer, lung cancer, mediastinal tumors, and colorectal cancer. In 2020, we expanded our robotic surgery to esophageal cancer, as well. We lead the Hokuriku region in number of prostate, kidney, and bladder cancer robotic surgeries, and are one of the country’s leading facilities in number of kidney cancer robotic surgeries. In August 2020, we introduced a dedicated robotic surgery operating room, allowing even more patients to undergo robotic surgery.

Performing Safe Surgeries

Our Robotic Surgery Center sends members to the Evaluating Committee for Highly Difficult New Medical Technologies, for review of newly introduced surgical techniques. We also provide support to help different departments share techniques and information, leading to improvements in robotic surgery quality. In addition, the center's staff includes clinical engineering technologists who set up the da Vinci machine and ensure its safe operation, nurses who prepare surgical instruments to be attached to the da Vinci machine and who provide care for patients, and anesthesiologists who handle general anesthesia and general care, with a focus on respiration and circulatory dynamics during robotic surgery. The staff works together to ensure safe, reliable robotic surgeries for every patient.

Training Robot Surgeons and Popularizing the Technology

At the Center, we provide a broad variety of training options, using both simulators and actual equipment. This training supports not only surgeons who wish to learn robotic surgery techniques, but also surgeons already familiar with the technology who wish to further improve their skills. Surgeons who have mastered these skills here have gone on to work on the front lines, at both this hospital and other affiliated hospitals.