Robot-assisted surgery in urology

Background: In the field of urological surgery, robotic surgery continues to develop and increase. This paper is an overview of the present and future of robotic urological surgery. Current Concepts: Robot-assisted surgery has revolutionized minimally invasive surgery and advanced the technical limitations of laparoscopy. Urologists have always been eager to adopt new technological advances to benefit their patients, and they have also been pioneers in the field of robotic surgery. Discussion and Conclusion: Following the first approval by the Food and Drug Administration in 2000, the da Vinci System (Intuitive Surgical, USA) remained the leading robotic surgical system for over 20 years. In 2000, the first robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy was performed in urology. Subsequently, applications of the da Vinci System in urology have grown exponentially, including the kidney, urinary bladder, and reconstructive and functional urological surgeries. To date, urology is driving robotic innovation. The first specialist-engineered system for single-site surgery, the da Vinci SP, was initially approved for use in urological surgery. Due to the advantages of robotic surgery, such as excellent visibility and operability, the demand for robotic surgery in the urology department is continuously increasing. Recently, in addition to the da Vinci System, other robot platforms are being developed and commercialized in many countries. In South Korea, robots such as Revo-I (Meere Company Inc., Korea) and Zamenix (Roen Surgical, Korea) are being released and commercialized. Urologists continue to lead the development of domestic robots and robotic surgery.