In November 2022, the Biomedical Research, Advanced Simulation, and Continuing Education Unit of the 3rd Department of Surgery, in collaboration with the ISLE ACADEMY training centre of the SOFMEDICA Group, presented the da Vinci X robotic surgery system, which was on display at the time on the Unit’s premises. ISLE, which stands for Innovation, Simulation, and Learning Ecosystem, is Central and Eastern Europe’s first simulation centre for minimally invasive surgery, providing a pioneering educational environment for the application of advanced technologies and the upgrading of healthcare professionals’ skills.
The above collaboration aims at developing innovative research and educational programmes on issues related to the utilization of pioneering technologies, artificial intelligence, virtual reality applications, simulation methodologies and tools, and online education in the entire spectrum of surgical practice (e.g., robotic surgery, magnetic navigation, minimally invasive surgery, etc.).
During the twenty-day display of the system in the AKISA building of NKUA, over fifteen faculty members, University scholars, and residents from the Departments of Surgery, Gynaecology, and Urology at the Attikon General University Hospital of Athens took part in introductory educational activities and demonstrations and familiarized themselves with Intuitive’s da Vinci X. These actions were just the prelude to a series of joint educational programmes starting early this year, the first international programme being ‘Basic Robotic-Assisted Surgery (RAS) Indications and Skills,’ which will take place in February at the facilities of AKISA and ISLE ACADEMY. The programme will include a theoretical component and simulator-based training, culminating with clinical case observation alongside distinguished robotic surgeons of all specialties working in Greek hospitals.
According to the Dean of the School of Health Sciences of NKUA and Director of the 3rd Department of Surgery, Professor Emmanouil Pikoulis, ‘For contemporary surgeons, high-level technologies, methodologies, tools, and applications of artificial intelligence and augmented reality, both during medical training and in continuing education, are a one-way option. The Dean’s Office of the NKUA School of Health Sciences is committed to providing the surgical community with optimal access to advanced technologies and approaches, opening new horizons and leaving a lasting imprint.
That is only possible through partnerships with specialized centres and innovative companies, particularly with the ones guided by knowledge openness, interdependence with social needs, accountability, and transparency, such as the SOFMEDICA Group, with its ISLE ACADEMY specialized training centres and its distinct presence in Greece, Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, and Cyprus.’
