On November 16 2024, the Toumai^® Robot from MicroPort^® MedBot^® successfully performed a nerve-sparing radical prostatectomy at Karazanashvili Robotic Center (KRC) ¹ in Georgia. The procedure was completed by Prof. Karazanashvili and his team, which has been the 100th robotic surgery with Toumai^® after the installation since late February this year. With the assistance of Toumai^®, they have successfully performed complex radical prostatectomies in 1 hour and 45 minutes, indicating that their robotic surgery capabilities have reached a world-class level.

This is a significant milestone achievement, remarked Prof. Karazanashvili, noting that the introduction of the Toumai^® Robot for clinical surgeries has ushered in an era of highly precise minimally invasive procedures at the hospital. It has taken robotic surgery in Georgia and the entire Caucasus region from inception to growth, ultimately reaching the forefront of this field on the international stage, thereby providing patients with enhanced medical service experiences and outcomes.

The hospital could only utilize open or laparoscopic surgeries to treat patients in the past. After Toumai^® Robot introduced, all eligible patients with surgical indications have been transitioned to robotic surgery. Up to date, the success rate of surgeries has been 100%, with benefits for the patients with safe, precise and minimal invasive clinical outcomes. According to hospital statistics, all 100 clinical surgeries have spanned multiple departments, including urology, general surgery, and gynecology, and have covered complex and classic procedures such as radical prostatectomy, radical cystectomy, radical nephrectomy, pyeloplasty for ureteropelvic junction obstruction, ureteral reimplantation, vesicovaginal fistula repair, and low anterior resection for rectal cancer.

"We had no experience with robotic surgery, but based on our extensive experience in open and laparoscopic surgeries, along with the professional clinical and technical supports provided by MicroPort^® Medbot^® at the beginning stage, we successfully tackled the challenges of these complex, high-difficulty surgeries," stated Prof. Karazanashvili. "Performing surgeries with the Toumai^® allows us to confidently handle all difficult procedures in the unparalleled experience. Doctors who have used Toumai^® may no longer switch to open or laparoscopic surgeries."

As a pioneer, Georgia was the first country in the Caucasus region to adopt the Toumai^® Robot and complete 100 multidisciplinary clinical surgeries, thereby contributing extensive experience and elevating the nation's surgical treatment to a world-leading level. This advancement will significantly propel the development of robotic surgery in the region.

In the past, patients from Georgia had to travel to neighboring countries or even Europe for more advanced medical technologies of diagnosis and treatment, resulting in the significantly increases on their medical expenses. Prof. Karazanashvili stated, "Thanks to the Toumai^® Robot, patients in the Caucasus region now have the accessible and affordable nearby opportunity to be treated by a surgical robot as the gold-standard surgical treatment in a familiar cultural environment with more precise, effective, and safer medical services."

As the scale of surgeries continues to expand, Georgia will become the regional hub and leader in surgical robotic field. KRC has announced plans to strengthen collaboration with medical institutions in neighboring countries, enabling more hospitals and doctors in the Caucasus region to learn surgical robotic techniques with Toumai^®. This will foster the exchange of advanced medical technologies and medical cooperation in the region, enabling the cutting-edge medical technologies to benefit a broader range of patients.

Dr. He Chao, President of the MicroPort^® MedBot^®, congratulated KRC and Prof. Karazanashvili on their remarkable achievements. He stated, "Karazanashvili Robotic Center (KRC) of Georgia is our first overseas installation center. It is the only robotic center for the whole Transcaucasia region. With the milestone of 100 robotic procedures completed, we are proud of Prof. Guram Karazanashvili leading his team to save so many patients with Toumai®, to give more hopes of life to their families. We are very confident that Toumai^® will help more surgeons to treat more patients all over the world. "

1   MMT hospital renamed as Karazanashvili Robotic Center (KRC) .