A Korean medical team said it has successfully performed the Asia-Pacific region’s first robot-assisted supermicrosurgery using the Symani surgical robot to connect blood vessels smaller than 1 millimeter in diameter.
According to Asan Medical Center (AMC) on Friday, the procedure was carried out by a team led by plastic surgeons Hong Jun-pio, Suh Hyun-suk, Park Chang-sik and Kwon Jin-geun at AMC.
From left, Professors Hong Jun-pio, Suh Hyun-suk, Park Chang-sik, and Kwon Jin-geun at the Plastic Surgery Department of Asan Medical Center. (Courtesy of AMC)
The surgery involved a 57-year-old woman who underwent tumor removal for suspected malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor, a type of sarcoma, in the thigh area. Surgeons performed reconstructive free flap surgery after extensive tissue removal around the tumor left a large defect in the patient’s left groin area.
During the procedure, the team used the Symani surgical robot to connect arteries and veins measuring about 0.3 to 0.8 millimeters in diameter.
The hospital said the case marked a milestone because robot-assisted technology was applied to supermicrosurgery, a field that typically requires highly specialized manual skills under high-magnification microscopes.
Kwon Jin-geun (right), professor of plastic surgery at Asan Medical Center, performs lymphaticovenous anastomosis using a supermicrosurgical robot to connect a thin lymphatic vessel measuring about 0.4 mm to a vein in a patient with lower-extremity lymphedema. (Courtesy of AMC)
Symani is a robotic microsurgery system designed for reconstructive, breast reconstruction and limb reconstruction procedures. The system includes wristed microinstruments and motion-scaling technology intended to reduce hand tremors and improve precision during delicate procedures involving small blood vessels and lymphatic vessels.
AMC said its plastic surgery department participated in the robot’s development from the early stages. The robot received approval from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) in January, and the hospital has since been conducting clinical research using the device in complex reconstructive surgeries.
The hospital signed an agreement in November 2023 with Medical Microinstruments, the Italian developer of Symani, to establish research and training programs for microsurgical robotics in the Asia-Pacific region.
AMC said it plans to expand the use of the robot to other supermicrosurgical procedures, including lymphaticovenous anastomosis for lymphedema patients, while continuing to collect clinical data on robot-assisted microsurgery.
Kim Ji-hye
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