El Rey Juan Carlos University Hospital of Móstoles has taken a decisive step in modernizing public surgery by incorporating the Da Vinci 5, the next-generation platform in robotic surgeryWith this addition, it becomes the Spain's first public hospital in having this model available and in carrying out the first urological intervention with this version of the robot at the national level.
The arrival of the new system is not an isolated or purely technological gesture: it represents the culmination of a robotic surgery program with more than thirteen years of experiencewhich has allowed the center to accumulate a volume of activity and clinical results that place it as a benchmark in public healthcare in Madrid and SpainThe DV5 arrives to complete a technology park that already had two Da Vinci Xi platforms and now has a total of three operational robots.
Thirteen years of robotic surgery: from the first steps to maturity
The hospital's Robotic Surgery Program was launched in 2012a few months after the center's inauguration. In that initial phase, the first robot Da Vinci, with which they carried out between 65 and 100 robotic surgeries annually during the first few yearsThat starting point laid the foundation for a project that has continued to grow in complexity and scope.
En 2018The hospital replaced its first equipment with the model Da Vinci XI, which provided a three-dimensional view magnified up to ten times, greater precision and a practical elimination of the surgeon's physiological tremor. This technological leap It allowed for more complex procedures to be addressed and consolidated robotic activity in different surgical specialties.
The commitment to this approach was reinforced by the Installation of a second Xi platform in November 2024, which made it possible to work in two operating rooms simultaneously with robotic technology. This logistical reinforcement has been key to boost annual activity, which has gone from those first 65-100 cases to approaching 700 robotic interventions per year nowadays.
The cumulative result of this trajectory is a figure that aptly summarizes the center's experience: by the end of 2025, the Rey Juan Carlos University Hospital had surpassed the 3.500 robotic surgeriesThis volume, combined with the quality of the healthcare outcomes, has led to the program being analyzed and published in the Journal of Robotic Surgery, which highlighted the performance of this multidisciplinary model between 2012 and 2022.
Da Vinci 5: the new generation of robotic surgery
The incorporation of the Da Vinci 5 (DV5) This represents a qualitative leap compared to the Xi model. This fifth generation of the system integrates over 150 design innovations aimed at improving precision, safety, ergonomics and overall efficiency of each intervention. It is not just a hardware change, but a platform designed to optimize the entire surgical workflow, as reflected in the momentum of the technique in Spain.
One of the most striking novelties is the force feedbackThanks to this function, the surgeon perceives on the console the tissue strengthThis helps to more precisely control the tension applied when manipulating delicate organs or structures. This ability is especially critical in areas where nerves, blood vessels and very fragile planes, as in much of cancer surgery.
The system also reinforces the quality of three-dimensional visionwhich was already far superior to human vision in previous generations. With DV5, an even sharper image is achieved in anatomically complex or difficult-to-access areasThis facilitates the accurate identification of dissection planes and small structures.
From a professional's point of view, the platform incorporates notable ergonomic improvementsThe console is designed to reduce the fatigue in long surgerieswith a more natural positioning of hands, arms, and back. The absence of tremor, combined with this refined ergonomics, translates into more stable and controlled movements throughout the procedure.
Another relevant aspect is the greater data capacity and improvements in operating room managementThe Da Vinci 5 facilitates the collection and analysis of intraoperative information, contributing to optimize the planning and execution of surgeriesIn practice, this translates into more standardized processes, tighter timelines, and an additional layer of safety for the patient.
Advantages for the patient: less pain and faster recovery
The features of the Da Vinci 5 and the experience accumulated by the hospital's teams have a direct impact on the patient evolutionThe combination of enhanced vision, precise movements, and fine tissue manipulation allows highly complex interventions with minimally invasive approachesThese minimally invasive techniques include developments such as single-hole surgery and other limited-access advances.
Among the most valued benefits are the reduction of postoperative pain, reduction of time under anesthesia y shorter hospital stays. This translates into a faster return to daily and working life, something especially appreciated in patients of working age or with family and work responsibilities.
Robotic surgery is also associated with lower complication rates in many indications, as well as a decrease in the need for blood transfusions and a less aesthetic impactbecause it requires smaller incisions than traditional open surgery. In oncological pathologies, the ability to combine maximum tumor radicality with minimal invasion is especially relevant.
El greater control over delicate tissues The force feedback provided is another factor that contributes to reducing risks. By being able to calibrate the applied tension in real time, the surgeon decreases the likelihood of damaging nerves, vessels, or structures that are best preserved, which can have an impact on functions as sensitive as continence or sexual function in certain urological and gynecological surgeries.
For the surgical team, the possibility of working with greater safety in prolonged procedures Thanks to its ergonomics and image quality, it reduces accumulated fatigue and helps maintain a high level of precision throughout the operationThis stability also ends up impacting safety indicators and clinical outcomes.
A multidisciplinary model: six specialties on the front line
The three robotic platforms at the Rey Juan Carlos University Hospital are already being used regularly in six surgical serviceswho have integrated robotics into their daily practice. This multidisciplinary approach is one of the program's strengths.
En Urology, led by Dr. Miguel Sánchez Encinas, more than have been made 1.600 interventions with robotic support. The service considers this technology a true revolution, since It reduces pain, hospital stay, the need for transfusions, and convalescence., while improving functional outcomes and reconstructive surgery, with a clear impact on the quality of life from the patients.
La General and Digestive Surgery, directed by the Dr. Manuel Durán and in which doctors also participate Camilo José Castellón, Alejandro García, Belén Manso and Carlos Ferrigni, accumulates close to 850 surgeries robotics. Approximately the 40% corresponds to colorectal surgery (mostly of an oncological nature) and another 40% is linked to esophagogastric and bariatric surgery, in addition to procedures on the abdominal wall and retroperitoneum.
In the field of GynecologyThe service, which has gone from being headed by the Dr. Charo Noguero to be led by the Dr. María de Matías, it approaches the 750 robotic interventionsIn these patients, a combination of shorter surgical time, fewer postoperative complications, earlier discharges, and faster recoveries, without neglecting the good clinical and oncological results.
La Thoracic surgery, whose head of service is the Dr. Ignacio Muguruza, has performed more than 180 robotic surgeriesThe use of the robot is especially advantageous in pulmonary oncological processes and mediastinal pathologieswhere it facilitates the removal of benign or malignant lesions with less trauma to the rib cage.
En Otolaryngology, directed by the Dr. Raimundo Gutiérrez, have been carried out around 140 robotic interventionsOne of the great advantages is the [missing word - possibly "the one" or "the one"]. The robot's arms access the injury through the mouthavoiding incisions in the neck and other more aggressive external approaches, while also exploring other minimally invasive procedures.
La Pediatric surgery It was most recently incorporated into the program, at the end of 2024, under the direction of Dr. Ricardo DíazIn this field, approximately two dozen robotic proceduresThe platform is especially useful because of the detailed visualization and maneuverability in very small anatomical structures, something fundamental in pediatric patients.
A strategic resource for Madrid's public health system
The Rey Juan Carlos University Hospital serves approximately 200.000 inhabitants from 18 municipalities of the Community of Madrid, including towns such as Móstoles, Navalcarnero, San Martín de Valdeiglesias or El ÁlamoThe availability of three robotic platforms makes the center a technological pillar for this health area.
The hospital's structural endowment includes 17 operating rooms, 339 single rooms and 18 ICU beds, which allows it to absorb a high volume of complex surgical activity without neglecting regular healthcare needs. Robotic surgery is integrated into this infrastructure as an additional tool for to offer advanced treatments within the public system.
The hospital's regional leadership in the number of robotic procedures, coupled with its status as first Spanish public center to incorporate the Da Vinci 5, also places it as a European leader in the adoption of cutting-edge technology within the publicly funded healthcare system. This position reinforces the role of the Community of Madrid on the map of European healthcare innovation.
The progressive increase in accredited professionals to operate the robotic platform, from the various specialties involved, indicates that the Experience no longer depends on isolated teamsbut rather a consolidated surgical ecosystem that shares protocols, training and quality criteriaThis organizational maturity is one of the elements that explain the recognition obtained in international scientific publications.
With the combination of three Da Vinci robots (two Xi and the new DV5), a track record of more than thirteen years and thousands of procedures performed, the Rey Juan Carlos University Hospital has established itself as a key center in the evolution of robotic surgery in public healthcare, offering its target population cutting-edge techniques, proven results, and a more manageable recovery in an area where technology is clearly put at the service of patients.
