Robotic surgery has rapidly established itself in the healthcare system, with More than 150 surgical robots in operation in public and private hospitals and an ever-widening range of specialties involved. This deployment allows for minimally invasive procedures that, in general terms, reduce bleeding, infections, complications and hospital stay, in addition to promoting more discreet scars and faster recovery.
Robotics does not replace the specialist, but rather multiplies your precision and control, optimizing the range of motion of the human hand and offering a highly detailed three-dimensional view of the operating field. Based on this, the technology has been integrated into multidisciplinary teams and in advanced security protocols, with accumulated experience that is growing rapidly throughout Spain.
Expansion and advances of robotic surgery in Spain
The adoption of these platforms in the country covers robotic urology, gynecology, general and digestive surgery, thoracic, ENT, cardiac and orthopedic, among others. Daily evidence in the operating room shows an improvement in ergonomics for teams and tangible gains for patients, with less postoperative pain and earlier recovery.
Recent milestones in Spanish hospitals
In Madrid, the CEMTRO Clinic has incorporated Skywalker, a robotic knee solution that provides digital planning, adjustment to the patient's anatomy and 3D vision to optimize joint alignment and balanceThis system coexists with Mako SmartRobotics, with which the center exceeds 3.000 robot-assisted prosthesis surgeries and which has allowed milestones such as the first unicompartmental knee In Spain and Portugal, the first robotic hip prosthesis in the country or the introduction of software Mako Total Knee 2.0 for more intuitive flows and ligament tension assessment in real time. 3D planning and intraoperative adjustments improve accuracy and recall.
In the Canary Islands, the Doctor José Molina Orosa University Hospital (Lanzarote) has launched a Da Vinci XI (approximate investment of 1,7 million), with surgeon's console, arm cart and 3D vision towerThe first surgeries in the general and digestive area have been completed successfully, and the plan is to extend it to urology and gynecology, avoiding travel to other islands and promoting equity in access.
In Soria, the Santa Bárbara University Hospital has started its program with Da Vinci (from June 20, 2025), with 12 interventions in general surgery, 9 in urology and 5 in gynecology during the first months. According to his team, working in three-dimensional and with more natural movements within the operating field facilitates complex approaches, reduces pain and shortens hospital stay, in addition to attracting specialized talent to the province.
International Telesurgery: Spain-Belgium
A patient at the HM Sanchinarro Hospital (Madrid) has been operated on using the first international robotic telesurgery between Spain and an EU country. The lead surgeon, from the Orsi Academy (Ghent), remotely managed the platform for a robotic radical prostatectomy, coordinated by real-time video conferencingThe Madrid device had a second robot ready to take over in case of any incidents and an engineering team monitoring the connection; according to the team, no technical failures have been recorded in this type of procedure to date. The elimination of tremor and access to deep areas increase precision and safety, with less bleeding and less postoperative pain.
Catalonia, costs and technological competition
In Catalonia, centers such as the Hospital ClÃnic of Barcelona They operate with several robots (three da Vinci plus systems ROSA, CORI and HUGO) in general, urology, gynecology, thoracic, ENT and cardiac. Other hospitals such as Vall d'Hebron, Sant Pau or Sant Joan de Reus They have intensified their activity, with milestones such as a robotic lung transplant. Even so, the economic challenge remains: a benchmark robot exceeds 2,5 million euros and its annual maintenance can range between 150.000 and 300.000 euros. In 2024, the ClÃnic carried out 1.060 robotic surgeries (12% more than in 2023), with the goal of reaching 10% of its interventions under this modality in 2030.
The teams demand lighter instruments and smaller arms, as well as haptic technology to compensate for the loss of touch. The robot is not autonomous: assists and increases the surgeon's abilityThe market is growing with proposals such as HUGO (Medtronic), Versius (CMR Surgical) or TouMai (used in Bellvitge), while the Catalan one Rob Surgical validates your Bitrack System (four arms, two passive, generic vision and trocars, 3D console with seven degrees of freedom). On a global scale there are more than 7.500 da Vinci systems, with about 1.700 in Europe and more than 410.000 surgeries in 2024 In the continent.
Professionals, healthcare practice and clinical outcomes
The role of nursing in the robotic operating room
Surgical Nursing plays an essential role in the preparation and development of the procedure: verification of equipment and materials, coordination with surgery and management of intraoperative incidents. According to professionals with extensive experience, in addition to technical skills, the following are critical: non-technical skills (effective communication and teamwork). The sterile cover of the robot (the so-called sheathed) And the specific processing of the instrument In sterilization, these are routines specific to this discipline. The teams receive structured training With support from experienced suppliers and rotations at centers, preparation times are reduced as the learning curve increases.
Differences compared to traditional surgery
Robotics suppresses the physiological tremor, offers magnified 3D vision and 360° rotating forceps, making it easier to reach complex anatomical corners. These capabilities translate into less invasive procedures and with less postoperative pain. Sterility standards are maintained, but the washing and sterilization of robotic instruments requires specific circuits and protocols.
Minimally invasive bariatric surgery
The General University Hospital of Villalba has consolidated a comprehensive program in which 100% of gastric bypasses It is performed with robotic assistance and zero surgical mortality, supported by Endocrinology, Rehabilitation, Psychiatry, Psychology and Nutrition. The most frequent techniques (bypass y sleeve) offer smaller incisions, less pain, and faster recoveryIn many cases, diabetes or hypertension medication is reduced or discontinued after surgery.
In the last two years, the center has carried out 40–45 surgeries per year, with an average loss of 95% of excess weight per year and marked decreases in comorbidities (diabetes from 29,4% to 2,9% e hypertension from 58,8% to 8,8%). The minimum follow-up (two years in Surgery and five in Endocrinology) consolidates long-term results, aligned with the GIRO 2024 Guide for the referral of patients with grade II/III obesity.
The advancement of robotic surgery in Spain combines new platforms, clinical milestones and more robust protocols, with better-trained teams and a competitive technological ecosystem that pushes prices, features, and indications. From telesurgery to orthopedics and bariatrics, the trend points to more precision, less invasiveness and greater safety, with the challenge of extending these benefits in an equitable and sustainable manner.
