A representative of the Việt Nam Records Organisation (VietKings) presents the official national record certificate to Bình Dân Hospital for conducting the largest volume of robotic surgeries over a 10-year period at the ceremony in HCM City on August 15. — Photos Courtesy of the hospital

HCM CITY — Bình Dân Hospital on Saturday received national record recognition for performing the highest number of robotic surgeries in Việt Nam and signed a strategic partnership with South Korea’s Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, marking ten years of robotic surgery implementation.

The event also featured an international scientific conference on robotic surgical applications in thoracic, general, and urological procedures, attended by representatives from the city Party Committee, the Việt Nam Fatherland Front Committee of the city, the city’s Department of Health, local hospitals, and surgical experts from Japan and South Korea.

A decade of development

In late 2016, Bình Dân Hospital in HCM City became the first medical facility in Việt Nam to perform robotic surgery on adult patients.

According to data presented at the ceremony, the hospital has achieved several operational milestones over the past decade.

The Việt Nam Records Organisation (VietKings) officially recognised the hospital as the first nationwide to pioneer robotic surgery and complete the highest number of procedures over a decade, with 4,278 successful operations recorded as of August.

The hospital has established 26 specialised robotic surgical teams and routinely performs 15 procedure categories.

Outstanding specialists at the institution have individually completed over 900 operations.

Bình Dân Hospital surgical team and leadership pose for a commemorative photograph with representatives of the Việt Nam Records Organisation (VietKings) at the ceremony in HCM City on August 15.

Cancer treatments involving thoracic, general, and urological pathologies represent 95 per cent of all robotic procedures performed at the facility.

Operating a single robotic surgical system, the hospital performs over 700 surgeries annually.

Assoc. Prof. Dr Trần Vĩnh Hưng, Director of Bình Dân Hospital, said from traditional open surgery to minimally invasive laparoscopic techniques, and now robotic surgery, surgical care is progressively transforming towards greater precision, safety, and individualisation.

“Combining the expertise and wisdom of surgeons with advanced technology, robotic surgery represents not only a technological revolution but also a step forward in surgical thinking, protocols, and training models,” he said.

Representatives of Bình Dân Hospital and Seoul St. Mary's Hospital in South Korea sign a Memorandum of Understanding to advance strategic collaboration in robotic surgery training and research at the ceremony in HCM City on August 15.

 Strategic development plan

Following ten years of implementation, Bình Dân Hospital was licensed by the city’s Department of Health in early 2026 to offer a basic robotic surgery training programme (160 periods) for post-graduate surgeons with over three years of laparoscopic experience.

During the ceremony, the hospital signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital in South Korea to collaborate on professional exchange, joint research, and specialised cancer care, as part of its goal to establish a regional Centre of Excellence in robotic surgery.

Dr Hưng said the hospital plans to acquire additional robotic systems to lower treatment costs and increase patient access, adhering to its core operational principle.

“Regardless of how far technology advances, one guiding principle at Bình Dân Hospital remains unchanged: ‘Putting the patient at the centre,’” he said.

Following the anniversary ceremony, the scientific conference on “Robotic Surgery in Thoracic, General, and Urological Surgery” convened domestic and international experts to discuss high-tech cancer therapies, complex urological procedures, and modern laparoscopic training trends. — VNS