AIN Hospital Director Lee Jin-wook Introduces Europe's First Single-Port Robotic Thyroid Surgery in Germany
Dr. Lee Jin-wook, a board-certified surgeon and director of the Thyroid Cancer Center at AIN Hospital, successfully supervised and taught the first single-port robotic thyroid surgery (SPRA) in Europe. This groundbreaking procedure took place at Diakonie-Klinikum Stuttgart in Germany on October 26. Dr. Lee utilized the da Vinci SP surgical system, employing a unilateral areolar approach. Professor Andreas Zilke, head of the local center, performed the operation under Dr. Lee's direct supervision. The patient, a 50-year-old woman with a 3-cm follicular tumor, specifically sought this scar-free surgical option. Dr. Lee developed the world's first single-port robotic thyroid cancer surgery via a unilateral areolar approach in 2022 and has since been actively involved in international surgical training and academic collaborations. This marks a significant advancement in surgical techniques available in Europe.
