REVO

- Revo-i offers strong competitiveness from a hospital operations perspective, including reasonable maintenance costs and high equipment efficiency

- Dr. Jeong Hwan Son, Head of the Urology Department at Bundang Jesaeng Hospital, presents on Revo-i at a Kazakhstan congress attended by over 1,000 participants

“There is no surgery that cannot be performed with Revo-i. For hospitals looking to introduce robotic surgery, especially those mindful of cost, Revo-i is a highly appropriate choice.”

Dr. Jeong Hwan Son, Head of the Urology Department at Bundang Jesaeng Hospital, shared these remarks during a recent interview. Over the past one year and seven months, he has performed more than 120 procedures using Korea’s domestically developed surgical robot Revo-i.

Last year, Dr. Son also delivered a presentation on Revo-i at the 4th Central Asia Congress of Urology (CACU 2025), held in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

One of the largest urology conferences in Central Asia, CACU 2025, took place over two days on October 16–17 and brought together more than 1,200 urology specialists from Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and other countries across the region.

At the congress, Dr. Son focused his presentation on clinical comparisons between laparoscopic surgery and robotic surgery. Using actual Revo-i surgical footage along with hospital profitability analysis data, he provided attending physicians with a concrete overview of both the clinical strengths and economic efficiency of Revo-i.

Explaining how he came to present at CACU 2025, Dr. Son noted, “Bundang Jesaeng Hospital has long-standing ties with Kazakhstan. Many Kazakh patients have visited our hospital for treatment, which naturally led to ongoing exchanges with local medical professionals. As interest in robotic surgery has grown in Kazakhstan, the congress organizers were looking for relevant speakers, and that is how we were given the opportunity to introduce Revo-i, which is currently in use at our hospital.”

The congress placed particular emphasis on comparing the clinical advantages of robotic surgery and laparoscopic surgery. Dr. Son explained, “Based on real-world surgical data from Revo-i procedures performed at Bundang Jesaeng Hospital, we shared comparative results across key indicators—including complication rates, length of hospital stay, and duration of catheterization—which clearly demonstrated the advantages of robotic surgery.”

He added, “When we shared actual Revo-i surgical videos, the response from local physicians was extremely positive. From a hospital management perspective, we also emphasized Revo-i’s economic competitiveness, including its reasonable maintenance costs and operational efficiency.”

As robotic surgery adoption continues to accelerate, Dr. Son advised that hospitals must now evaluate systems from an operations-focused perspective, rather than simply whether robotic surgery is available at all. “Simply having robotic surgery is no longer a differentiating factor,” he said. “Patients don’t choose hospitals based on a specific robot brand. Ultimately, hospitals must prioritize operational stability and efficiency when selecting equipment.” In this context, he emphasized that domestically produced systems with rational cost structures and rapid maintenance support can represent a highly practical alternative.

At the same time, Dr. Son stressed that such operational advantages must be supported by solid clinical performance, noting that Revo-i’s competitiveness has already been validated in real-world practice. “There are no procedures—including high-difficulty surgeries—that cannot be performed with Revo-i,” he stated. “At our hospital, we have successfully carried out a wide range of complex procedures, including ureteral reconstruction, using Revo-i.”

He concluded, “For hospitals considering robotic surgery for the first time, cost considerations are critical, and from that standpoint, Revo-i is a thoroughly rational choice.”

Dr. Son also noted that patients rarely inquire about the specific robotic system being used. “If meaningful support measures were introduced at the level of the Ministry of Health and Welfare or the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, it would greatly help younger physicians feel more confident in choosing Revo-i,” he added.

Reflecting on his participation in CACU 2025, Dr. Son remarked, “Through this congress, I was able to confirm firsthand that Revo-i continues to attract strong global interest. I plan to continue sharing clinical experience so that interest in Revo-i and Korean medical technology can be sustained.” He continued, “Going beyond the role of a simple user, I intend to contribute to education and dissemination by actively sharing Korea’s experience and know-how, so that overseas medical professionals encountering Revo-i for the first time can adapt quickly in real surgical settings.”

Finally, he emphasized the growing demand for robotic surgery education in emerging markets: “Demand for robotic surgery training is increasing rapidly in these regions. I believe domestically developed technology has strong potential to spread more widely within this trend. Being part of that process is deeply meaningful, and it is highly rewarding to contribute to the growth of Korean companies.”