The development of the Robotic Surgery Center at the University of Szeged has reached another important milestone. The university has taken delivery of a da Vinci X soft-tissue robotic surgery system, enabling the introduction of robot-assisted surgical technology in general surgery, urology, and obstetrics and gynecology. Professional training and education related to the system have already begun.
The university’s goal is to establish a long-term, sustainable Robotic Surgery Center that integrates multiple specialties. The center will not only support high-quality patient care but also play an important role in medical education, specialist training, clinical innovation, and research. In the long term, the university aims to establish itself as a leading center for robotic surgery in Central Europe.
Robot-assisted procedures have already been available in Szeged for two years. At the end of 2024, the university acquired an orthopedic surgical robot for use in knee and hip replacement procedures. In July 2026, Hungary’s first robotic center dedicated to the treatment of cardiac arrhythmias, equipped with a stereotactic system, also began operations at the university. With the arrival of the da Vinci system, work is now beginning to establish an operational model for robotic soft-tissue surgery.
As part of the program, the surgical workflows required for robot-assisted procedures are being developed, while training for participating physicians and operating-room staff is already underway. The training program involves surgeons, assistant physicians, and operating-room personnel from the fields of general surgery, urology, and obstetrics and gynecology.
The Department of Surgery at the Albert Szent-Györgyi Clinical Center is responsible for the professional coordination of the robotic surgery program. According to the department chair, Associate Professor Dr. habil. Attila Paszt, the robotic surgery system will be installed in the central operating block of the 265-bed wing, with the first robot-assisted procedures expected to begin in early September.
The da Vinci robotic system does not operate autonomously. Instead, the surgeon controls the system from a console while viewing real-time, magnified 3D high-definition images of the surgical field. The technology is particularly well suited to abdominal and thoracic oncological procedures, as well as surgeries involving the lungs, esophagus, colon, gallbladder and bile ducts, and pancreas. It can also be used for prostate surgery and procedures involving the uterus and other pelvic organs.
The system enables surgeons to perform highly precise procedures in confined anatomical spaces through small incisions. In addition to facilitating precision, particularly in complex oncological surgery, robot-assisted procedures can offer patients benefits such as less postoperative pain and faster recovery.
