Milestone in esophageal surgery — Da-Vinci-5 and cooperation with Tokyo
The surgical treatment of esophageal cancer is advancing rapidly thanks to modern technology. Klinik Hirslanden in Zurich is among the first institutions worldwide to use the new Da-Vinci-5 robotic system in this highly specialized field.
Precision through a new generation of robotics
Under the leadership of Prof. Dr. med. Paul Magnus Schneider, Chairman of the esophageal cancer center at Klinik Hirslanden certified by the Deutsche Krebsgesellschaft (DKG), the technology is being deployed in a targeted manner:
“With robot-assisted surgery, we now achieve a precision that was not possible just a few years ago. State-of-the-art Da-Vinci systems allow us to operate even more minimally invasively. For certain tumors, we no longer have to go between the ribs through the chest cavity; we can even remove tumors through approaches from the neck or below the ribs. This decisively reduces the risk of pulmonary complications, particularly pneumonia, after the procedure.”
— Prof. Dr. med. Paul Magnus Schneider
International cooperation with Tokyo
In parallel with the technological expansion, Klinik Hirslanden is strengthening its international cooperation. In future, the team will work closely with the National Cancer Center in Tokyo and its leading specialist Prof. Dr. Hiroyuki Daiko. In Japan, this surgical method is already being applied successfully, particularly with the Da-Vinci-5.
Training the next generation with international experience
The cooperation is also reflected in the training of the next generation: Dr. med. Olga Meier, specialist in surgery and specialized visceral surgery from Prof. Schneider’s team, spent a year as a fellow of the European Society for Diseases of the Esophagus (ESDE) at the Universitätsklinikum Mainz with Peter Grimminger — the leading center for robotic esophageal surgery in Germany.
Within the framework of a fellowship, Dr Meier is currently deepening her expertise in Japan. At the National Cancer Center, the largest center for esophageal cancer surgery in Japan, she is systematically intensifying her surgical experience in the use of this innovative technology.
Source: News release from Klinik Hirslanden on the operation and the international cooperation.