Robotic surgery has been developing in Russia for over 10 years. Every year more and more centres appear to perform high-tech procedures. At the same time, there is a serious shortage of educational facilities for the training of required skills. Almazov Centre has gained tremendous experience in robotic surgery using various systems as well as training of robotic surgeons from many regions of Russia, including Moscow. Training on experimental animals was previously possible only abroad. As assigned by Director General Evgeny Shlyakhto, a robotic training centre was established for the first time in Russia at Almazov Centre on a par with world-class facilities (e.g. IRCAD in France). After approval by the Bioethics Committee, a training programme for surgeons was launched under the guidance of Head of the Urology Department with Robotic Surgery Course Mikhail Mosoyan.
On December 17, the specialists successfully performed urologic robotic-assisted procedures on a live animal: pyelourethral segment plastic surgery, kidney resection, nephrectomy, ureteral transplant, ureterolysis, ureterocystoanastomosis. The unique experience of working with live tissue can only be acquired in the operating room during real surgery on experimental animals. The Robotic Training Centre is established at the Preclinical and Translational Research Centre that provides a wide range of state-of-the-art scientific and preclinical research in compliance with the world standards. Over the past 6 years, specialists from almost all leading medical institutions in Russia have been trained at Almazov Centre.
The advantage of the Robotic Training Centre is a newly installed robot-assisted surgical system to provide relevant training on an ongoing basis. Thanks to the vast experience of specialists, a multi-level process has been implemented, including training on a simulator, testing surgical techniques on animals, then at the clinic, and finally at the site.
All that became possible thanks to the facilities at the Preclinical and Translational Research Centre, its state-of-the-art operating room and highly skilled specialists in veterinary medicine.
