Egypt, Alexandria - On November 9th, assisted by the Toumai® Surgical Robot (referred to as the Toumai®), Dr. Liu Ming, director of the Department of Urology at Beijing Hospital, performed a live demonstration of a robot-assisted laparoscopic partial nephrectomy surgery spanning Asia and Africa at the Mediterranean Minimally Invasive Urology Symposium (MMISU2023). This was the first international live surgery broadcast featuring the Toumai® and another opportunity for overseas minimally invasive surgical experts to witness the technical capabilities and excellent clinical application results of the Chinese-developed Toumai® in complex and challenging surgeries. This greatly facilitated the understanding of the development level, technical strength, and achievements in medical intelligence of Chinese robotic-assisted laparoscopic surgery among the attending medical experts, and opened up a "Chinese path" for improving the quality of medical services in their own countries.

The MMISU (Mediterranean Minimally Invasive Urology Symposium) has been successfully held five times since 2019 and is one of the highest-level and most prestigious academic conferences in the field of urology in the region. Each conference has invited renowned experts and top scholars from around the world to share the latest research achievements in minimally invasive urology and discuss the future development trends of the industry. The conference also invites world-renowned experts in minimally invasive surgery to perform live surgeries, conveying advanced surgical concepts and techniques. Through peer exchanges and discussions, the conference promotes the innovation and development of minimally invasive surgical techniques in the field of urology.

 This is the second consecutive year that Dr. Liu Ming has been invited to perform a high-difficulty surgical demonstration at MMISU. During MMISU2022, Dr. Liu Ming used a foreign brand surgical robot to perform a laparoscopic radical prostatectomy. When asked why the Chinese-developed Toumai® surgical robot was used for this year, Dr. Liu Ming stated that in recent years, Chinese-developed robotic Surgical Robots have made significant progress and have demonstrated precision, stability, and operability comparable to foreign surgical robots in complex surgeries. With extensive clinical validation and approval from the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA), these systems can be applied in various clinical departments, proving their safety and effectiveness. They fully meet clinical needs and have cost advantages, gradually gaining recognition and acceptance from clinical doctors.

 The patient, 39 years old, was diagnosed with a right renal mass measuring approximately 3.1×2.6 cm, accompanied by right-sided lower back pain during a physical examination at an external hospital one week prior. Further examination confirmed a space-occupying lesion in the right kidney, indicating the need for surgery. After the patient was admitted, Dr. Liu Ming's team actively conducted preoperative examinations and, considering the patient's young age, decided to perform a robot-assisted laparoscopic partial nephrectomy. In order to minimize the patient's trauma while preserving the normal renal units as much as possible, Dr. Liu Ming's team developed a detailed and meticulous surgical plan.

 "Partial nephrectomy" is considered one of the most difficult and complex surgeries in the field of urology, with a high risk of bleeding. It requires precise anatomical dissection of major blood vessels, accurate identification of tumor margins, and rapid suturing of the renal incision. This requires a clear and three-dimensional surgical field, familiarity with anatomical structures, and proficiency in meticulous intracavity suturing techniques, all of which are perfectly met by the Surgical Robot.

 During the surgery, with the assistance of attending physician Dr. Zhang Zhipeng and the surgical team, Dr. Liu Ming not only demonstrated his superb surgical skills but also fully utilized the Toumai®'s precise identification, precise dissection, and precise removal capabilities. The entire surgical procedure, including kidney mobilization, renal artery occlusion, tumor resection, and margin suturing, proceeded smoothly and clearly, achieving the ultimate goal of minimally invasive surgery and maximizing kidney function preservation. The surgery was completed in 96 minutes, with a warm ischemia time of only 20 minutes and blood loss of less than 50 ml. The patient did not experience any significant discomfort after the surgery. Throughout the live broadcast, Dr. Liu Ming's perfect diagnostic and therapeutic concepts, skilled surgical techniques, strong on-site control ability, and the precise and stable assistance provided by the Toumai® received high praise from experts from various countries present at the conference.

Dr. Liu Ming stated that the application of surgical robots in clinical practice significantly improves the success rate and safety of surgeries. The Toumai® provides a 10x magnified view of the surgical field and its high-dexterity mechanical arms, combined with articulated instruments, offer greater flexibility than manual human operations. By eliminating physiological tremors of the surgeon, it allows for more precise, meticulous, and high-quality minimally invasive surgical procedures. In this surgery, the Toumai®'s assistance enabled more precise tumor removal and seamless suturing, achieving the dual goals of "tumor removal" and "kidney preservation," and providing patients with greater benefits through cutting-edge medical technology, ultimately improving their postoperative quality of life.

 The experts from various countries who watched the live broadcast highly recognized and praised the precise and stable assistance provided by the Chinese-developed Toumai®. They expressed their desire to visit China for more extensive and in-depth exchanges with their Chinese counterparts and to experience the Chinese-developed surgical robots firsthand.

Mr. Liu Yu, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer of the MicroPort® MedBot®, said:

Congratulations to Dr. Liu Ming on successfully completing this intercontinental live surgery broadcast. Dr. Liu not only fully demonstrated the profound theoretical foundation and technological innovation achievements of Chinese urologists in the field of robot-assisted laparoscopic surgery but also showcased China's rapid progress in the development and "smart manufacturing" of high-end medical equipment. In the future, with the support of experts like you, MedBot® will continue to explore new technologies and applications in the field of minimally invasive surgery, contributing Chinese wisdom to the innovative development and progress of global medical technology, and realizing the vision : Make surgery easier, safer and less invasive.