Changsha, China - On August 10, 2022, the inauguration ceremony of the Toumai^® Surgical Robot Training Center and the first MicroPort^® robotic thoracic surgery training course, jointly launched by Xiangya Hospital  Central South University and Shanghai MicroPort MedBot (Group) Co., Ltd. (“MicroPort® MedBot®”), were successfully held at the Laparoscopic and Minimally Invasive Training Base of the Clinical Skills Center of Xiangya Hospital, making it the first minimally invasive surgical robot training center in central China.

The event was attended by Professor Chunfang Zhang, Director of Thoracic Surgery, Professor Xiongbing Zu, Director of Urology Surgery, Professor Xinying Li, Director of Thyroid Surgery, Professor Heli Liu, Director of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Professor Ledu Zhou, Director of Hepatobiliary Center, Professor E Wang, Director of Anesthesiology, Professor Wei Wu, Director of the Hospital Office, Professor Yang Gao and Professor Yuanda Cheng of Thoracic Surgery, trainees from five hospitals, and Mr. Yu Liu, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer of Shanghai MicroPort^® MedBot^® Group. The ceremony was hosted by Wu Jing, Director of the Clinical Skills Training Center.

Director Jing Wu said that the robotic surgery represents high precision minimally invasive technology and embodies the future surgical direction. The establishment of the Toumai^® Surgical Robot Training Center of Xiangya Hospital means the entry of a new skill to the training center and marks a new starting point for the development of minimally invasive technology of the hospital.

Chunfang Zhang, Director of Thoracic Surgery Department, introduced that since the surgical robots were introduced in the hospital in 2020, the robotic surgeries cases in this department has exceeded 1,500, whose growth rate ranks in the forefront nationwide, and the innovative daytime robotic surgery was also initiated.

Vice President of the hospital Zhaoxin Qian hoped that more surgeons could receive training at the Toumai^® Surgical Robot Training Center here in Xiangya, and that more exploration and innovation could be conducted by the Skills Center and clinical specialties based on a large amount of clinical data, thereby contributing to the creation of a national medical center.

The first session of the robotics training course at Xiangya Hospital was attended by five thoracic surgery trainees from Xiangya Hospital Central South University, Hunan Provincial People’s Hospital, the First Affiliated Hospital of University of South China, Huaihua Central Hospital, and Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture People’s Hospital. The training course included the theoretical study, simulation training, animal experiments and surgery observation. Professor Chunfang Zhang elaborated on the development and prospect of Surgical robotics, teacher Panpan Zhao introduced the overall situation of the Clinical Skills Center of Xiangya Hospital Central South University on behalf of Director Jing Wu, and Director Ying Peng of the Endoscopy Training Base talked about what needs to be noted during animal experiments and their related ethics. Moreover, Associate Chief Physicians Yang Gao and Yuanda Cheng, Associate Professor Rui Min Chang, and Attending Physician Yanwu Zhou conducted theoretical and practical training on robotics based on esophageal cancer, lung cancer, mediastinal tumor and incisional design respectively.

After the theoretical study, the trainees took turns to carry out simulated training and animal experiments with the Toumai^® Surgical Robot. They practiced the basic surgical operations of freeing, suturing, knotting and excision with the assistance of the MicroPort^® Toumai^® Surgical Robot. When the theoretical study and animal experiments came to an end, all the trainees said the training was quite rewarding and they had a profound understanding of the advantages of robot-assisted minimally invasive surgeries. They also expressed their anticipation on the prospect of the Toumai^® Surgical Robot.

Mr. Yu Liu, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer of  MicroPort^® MedBot^®, said, “As a ‘national team’ of public hospitals, Xiangya Hospital Central South University exerts its influence as a trend-setter, a role model and a mentor, highly acclaimed and applauded in the industry and society while cultivating a dazzling array of influential doctors and experts at home and abroad. The establishment of the Robotic Thoracic Surgery Training Center further exemplifies the recognition of the technical standards of the self-developed surgical robots. Underpinned by the medical experts and resources of Xiangya Hospital, the training center is well-positioned to upgrade and promote the domestic surgical robot technology and train more robotic surgery personnel in county-level hospitals, thus allowing more people to have access to quality medical resources in their hometowns and fulfilling MedBot^®’s belief to “Make Surgery Easier, Safer and Less Invasive”.