Current status and future prospects of global robotic surgery: Evolution from thoracic surgery to multidisciplinary integration
- VernacularTitle:全球机器人手术现状与展望：从胸外科到多学科融合的演进与未来
- Author:
Ming CHENG
1
;
Wei XU
1
;
Renquan DING
1
;
Boxiao HU
1
;
Shumin WANG
1
Author Information
1. Department of Thoracic Surgery, General Hospital of Northern Theater Command, Shenyang, 110016, P. R. China
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
Da Vinci surgical system;
surgical procedures;
multidisciplinary integration;
globalization;
ethical supervision;
policies & regulations;
future trends
- From:
Chinese Journal of Clinical Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery
2026;33(05):686-697
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
This article systematically elucidates the current development status and future trends of robot-assisted surgery worldwide. Currently, robotic surgery led by the Da Vinci Surgical System has been widely adopted across multiple disciplines, including thoracic surgery, urology, and gynecology, demonstrating advantages such as precision, stability, and minimal invasiveness. Significant regional disparities exist in the global distribution of robotic surgery, reflecting inequalities in healthcare resources and economic development worldwide. China is rapidly emerging in the field of robotic surgery, undergoing a strategic transition from technology adoption to independent innovation: domestically developed systems (e.g., Toumai, Surgibot) have demonstrated safety and efficacy in multidisciplinary clinical practice; leveraging the advantages of 5G technology, remote robotic surgery has progressed from proof-of-concept to clinical reality, offering innovative solutions for equitable healthcare resource allocation; meanwhile, a quality control system spanning from national strategic planning to clinical operational standards is under development. Confronted with core challenges such as high costs, technical barriers (e.g., lack of force feedback), steep learning curves, lagging regulatory and ethical frameworks, and uneven regional development, future robotic surgery will deeply integrate artificial intelligence, evolving toward single-port/flexible miniaturization, normalization of remote surgery, and personalized precision treatment. Ultimately, it will drive the transformation of surgical medicine toward a new paradigm characterized by greater precision, intelligence, and accessibility, and is expected to play a strategic role in public health emergencies and disaster relief operations.
