The Rey Juan Carlos University Hospital in Móstoles. Credit: Instagram @joelfilip_arch
The Rey Juan Carlos University Hospital in Móstoles, Madrid, has performed more than 3,000 robotic surgeries, making it a leader in Spain’s public healthcare system.
According to SER, this milestone comes after 12 years of experience using robotic systems to perform minimally invasive procedures.
Robotic surgery: A decade of innovation and growth
The hospital began its Robotic Surgery Program in 2012 with the Da Vinci system. In the early years, it performed ‘between 65 and 100’ operations annually, but in 2024 alone, the hospital carried out ‘nearly 550,’ and expects that figure to grow to ‘nearly 650 by the end of 2025.’
With the addition of a second robot just five months ago, the hospital became the second public facility in Madrid to operate two teams using the latest robotic technology. According to LGN Medios, this upgrade ‘significantly increases the hospital’s operational capacity.’
The hospital says robotic surgery provides “greater precision and a minimally invasive approach,” which translates to “smaller incisions, less bleeding and need for transfusions, and less postoperative pain,” cited by SER.
LGN Medios adds that robotic surgery ‘improves clinical outcomes and patient recovery,’ noting that the average surgical time has been reduced from ‘275 minutes in 2013 to less than 184 today.’
The tech behind transformative robotic surgery
The hospital is currently using the Da Vinci Xi model, which replaced its original unit. According to LGN Medios, the Xi system ‘offers an augmented 3D view, eliminates the surgeon’s physiological tremor, and allows for control of up to four robotic arms with millimetre precision.’
Each robotic arm enables the surgeon to manage ‘up to three instruments and one optic’ using 8mm tweezers with ‘freedom of movement on seven axes and a 360° rotation,’ adds SER.
With thousands of procedures now complete and hundreds more expected annually, the Rey Juan Carlos Hospital has created a benchmark in the region.
The technique has been applied successfully across multiple departments, including urology, gynaecology, and digestive surgery.
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