Hospital da Luz Lisboa has just acquired a new surgical robot, now allowing two of these machines to operate simultaneously, doubling the robotic surgical capacity of this unit within the Luz Saúde Group. With extensive experience in robotic surgery, Hospital da Luz introduced this technology in Portugal 15 years ago. Alongside these two at Hospital da Luz Lisboa, the network also includes a third robot at Hospital da Luz Arrábida, installed in 2017, which was the first hospital in northern Portugal to utilize this technology. Kris Maes , urologist and the coordinator of the Robotic Surgery Center at Hospital da Luz, oversaw the installation of the new Da Vinci XI, a 4th-generation robot and the most advanced currently available in Europe. He emphasized, “Robotic surgery is growing, both within our Group and in Portugal. We need more capacity to perform surgeries, which is why we acquired this new robot.” He added, “The Da Vinci system has been around for 20 years, and this is the latest version available on the European market.” Urologist Kris Maes, who celebrates 20 years of his career as a robotic surgeon this year, expressed his pride and excitement about witnessing Hospital da Luz’s growth and enhanced capabilities in this field. “More doctors are beginning to use this technology. With this new robot, we can provide better support to all surgeons and, most importantly, to patients who require and benefit from robotic-assisted surgery,” he stated. The urologist at Hospital da Luz Lisboa recalled, “This was the first hospital in Portugal to perform robotic surgery, 15 years ago.” “We started in 2010! That means our group and Hospital da Luz are the most experienced in Portugal in this field—and now also in the Iberian Peninsula.” “We want to continue leading the way in this technology,” he concluded. Over 15 years of robotic surgery, the Hospital da Luz network has performed more than 3,300 procedures using this technology, with Kris Maes being one of the most influential trainers of Portuguese surgeons in robotic surgery.
