Milestone in oesophageal surgery — Da-Vinci-5 and cooperation with Tokyo

The surgical treatment of oesophageal 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 specialised field.

Precision through a new generation of robotics

Under the leadership of Prof. Dr. med. Paul Magnus Schneider, Chairman of the oesophageal cancer centre 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 tumours, we no longer have to go between the ribs through the chest cavity; we can even remove tumours 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 specialised 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 Prof. Dr. Peter Grimminger — the leading centre for robotic oesophageal 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 centre for oesophageal 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.