The beginning of a new era of robotic surgery in Spain
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The new technique enabled surgeons to perform a complex operation while minimising tissue trauma, reducing post-operative scarring and shortening the child’s recovery time.
One Access Point Instead of Several Incisions
Conventional robotic surgery usually requires several separate incisions to introduce the camera and surgical instruments.
With the new single-port platform, all instruments are inserted through one small incision. This approach reduces the number of surgical wounds, lessens trauma to surrounding tissues and improves the cosmetic outcome.
The procedure was performed by the Department of Paediatric Urology and Kidney Transplantation at Vall d’Hebron University Hospital, one of Spain’s leading centres for paediatric robotic surgery.
Why the Child Required Surgery
The patient had been living with recurrent kidney stone disease, which required repeated medical treatment. Despite ongoing management, his condition gradually deteriorated.
In early June, he developed an infection that led to significant inflammation, making urgent surgery necessary.
On 3 June, the Vall d’Hebron surgical team removed the affected kidney and ureter using a single-port robotic platform. This became the first paediatric procedure of its kind performed with a single-incision robotic system.
The Evolution of Robotic Surgery
Sixteen years ago, Europe witnessed its first robotic operation performed on a child, marking the beginning of a new era in minimally invasive paediatric surgery.
Since then, robotic technology has advanced considerably. Early systems—whose development was originally influenced, in part, by aerospace engineering—have gradually evolved into more precise, flexible and less invasive surgical platforms.
Importantly, a surgical robot does not perform an operation independently.
Every movement is fully controlled by the surgeon, who operates the system from a dedicated console. The robotic platform translates the surgeon’s hand movements into highly precise instrument movements, allowing complex procedures to be carried out safely in anatomically challenging areas.
Home Within 48 Hours
The operation was completed successfully and without complications.
The child remained in hospital for only 48 hours before being discharged home.
Compared with both conventional surgery and multi-port robotic procedures, recovery was shorter and more comfortable. The patient experienced minimal post-operative pain, which often accompanies major surgical interventions.
A Scar Measuring Just 2.5 Centimetres
The procedure left a single scar measuring approximately 2.5 centimetres.
The surgical team believes this can be reduced even further in the future.
Dr Marino Asensio, who performed the operation, explained:
"At present, the diameter of the instruments is 8 millimetres. Our goal is to reduce this to 6 millimetres, allowing post-operative scars to be no longer than 2 centimetres."
Potential Benefits of Single-Port Robotic Surgery
The new surgical platform may offer patients several important advantages, including:
- reduced blood loss;
- a lower risk of complications;
- less post-operative pain;
- a shorter hospital stay;
- faster recovery;
- improved cosmetic results.
Looking Ahead
Spanish specialists plan to introduce single-port robotic systems gradually across other major hospitals throughout the country.
The first paediatric procedure at Vall d’Hebron represents another significant step in the development of minimally invasive surgery, demonstrating how modern technology can make complex operations more precise while reducing the physical impact of treatment on children.
Rather than replacing surgical expertise, robotic technology enhances it—allowing surgeons to perform increasingly complex procedures with greater precision, while helping young patients recover more quickly and return to everyday life sooner.