Aarhus University Hospital has replaced a surgical robot at the Department of Urology with a more modern version. However, the old robot is still much too useful to be retired and has instead found a new workplace at the Department of Clinical Medicine.

"The old robot does not have the same possibilities as the latest robots, but it is good enough for research and training on pigs, and also for developing new operation methods for the benefit of e.g. cancer patients," says Jørgen Bjerggaard Jensen, who was named professor of bladder cancer and robotic surgery at Aarhus University on 1 May 2014. He has taken the initiative to the establishment of the new robot-assisted surgical research and development centre at the Department of Clinical Medicine.

Used to develop new robotic techniques 

The robot is now used in the surgical research laboratories at the Department of Clinical Medicine located in the basement of Aarhus University Hospital, with Northern Europe's best-equipped operating theatres for e.g. experimental surgery on pigs.

Surgeons from different areas have jointly invested in the robot, which will be used for research, development and teaching. In addition to urologists, the group includes gastrointestinal, heart and otolaryngological surgeons. The plan is for the robot to be used for: 

• Courses and training in robotic surgery for doctors
• Training new surgeons in operations using robotic surgery
• Development of new surgical procedures using a robot
• Training new surgical procedures using a robot
• Comparison of operations with traditional surgery and robot-assisted surgery

Here you can see medical doctor Pernille Skjold Kingo show how a surgical robot works. (Only available in danish) 

Further information

Professor and Consultant Jørgen Bjerggaard Jensen
Aarhus University, Department of Clinical Medicine and
Aarhus University Hospital, Department of Urology
Tel.: +45 7845 2617
bjerggaard@clin.au.dk