REVO

- Professor Byung Soh Min of Severance Hospital highlights the importance of industry–medical–government partnerships for global competitiveness

- Live Revo-i surgery in Paraguay underscores South America’s potential as a regional hub through training centers

“Recent surgical trends—shaped in part by disruptions in the healthcare system—have led to an increase in surgical volumes, particularly minimally invasive procedures, at secondary general hospitals and specialized surgical centers. In this environment, Revo-i is a highly attractive option for hospitals performing robotic surgery. However, for Revo-i to succeed as a flagship of K-medicine, strong partnerships between industry and the medical community must be supported by proactive government policies.”

We spoke with Professor Byung Soh Min of the Department of Surgery at Severance Hospital, who has been involved with Revo-i since its development stage, to discuss the system’s strengths and its future direction.

Professor Min recently visited Paraguay, where he performed a live Revo-i surgery, drawing significant interest from local medical professionals.

Having performed more than 100 Revo-i procedures, Professor Min cited high cost-effectiveness as the system’s greatest strength. He explained that Revo-i delivers robotic surgery at a comparable clinical level while offering a more reasonable cost structure—an important advantage in real-world clinical settings.

He also emphasized that continued system advancement will be critical for Revo-i to secure a stronger position in the global surgical robotics market. Noting that the current technological trends include artificial intelligence (AI) and telesurgery, he observed that global competition is intensifying. “Competition in the surgical robot market will only become fiercer. Revo-i must proactively evolve in line with market trends,” he said, adding that based on its achievements to date, “Revo-i has more than enough potential moving forward.”

Professor Min further noted that the current healthcare landscape—marked by workforce strain at major tertiary hospitals—could present an opportunity for the wider adoption of Revo-i. As surgical volumes increase at secondary general hospitals and specialized surgical centers, and as minimally invasive surgery becomes a dominant trend, the role of robotic surgery is growing increasingly important.

“Revo-i’s greatest advantage lies in its cost-to-performance ratio,” he said. “It can be used not only for common general surgeries such as hernia repair, cholecystectomy, and appendectomy, but also for complex bowel resections. It is already being applied broadly in urology and gynecology as well, making it an extremely compelling option in clinical practice.”

Professor Min stressed that for Revo-i to succeed globally as a representative Korean surgical robot, government-level policy support must complement industry-medical partnerships. He noted that many global competitors benefit from strong national backing and argued that Korea likewise needs long-term, strategic support.

He also underscored the importance of insurance reimbursement for robotic surgery.

Citing Japan as an example, he explained, “Japan lagged behind Korea in robotic surgery for many years. However, after robotic surgery was incorporated into the national insurance system four to five years ago, case volumes surged dramatically. Today, Japan performs roughly five to ten times more robotic surgeries annually than Korea.”

He added that countries such as China, Taiwan, and Singapore are also gradually integrating robotic surgery into their healthcare systems, noting that institutional frameworks play a decisive role in market expansion, while emphasizing the government’s responsibility in setting appropriate reimbursement levels.

Reflecting on the Paraguay live surgery, Professor Min described it as a highly meaningful experience.

“There are already many surgeons with strong laparoscopic expertise, and with robotic surgery becoming increasingly established in neighboring countries such as Brazil and Argentina, there was a strong desire to stand shoulder to shoulder with them,” he said. He went on to explain, “Healthcare is closely tied to each country’s economic conditions. Because robotic surgery is perceived as a high-cost procedure, there was a strong emphasis in Paraguay on cost-effectiveness and accessibility to medical care.”

Professor Min emphasized, “Local medical professionals showed strong interest in how complex surgical procedures could be performed using robotic systems. Robotic surgery was recognized as valuable because it allows high-difficulty operations—often burdensome with conventional laparoscopic techniques—to be carried out with greater precision and stability.”

Through the live surgery, he demonstrated that Revo-i fully delivers the advantages of existing robotic surgery systems while enabling precise and delicate procedures through intuitive controls and joint movements that closely resemble those of the human hand. He also stressed that these characteristics can positively impact postoperative recovery.

Professor Min added that, as no competing robotic systems have yet been installed in Paraguay, Revo-i, as the first system introduced in the country, has achieved very high recognition among local medical professionals.

In closing, he noted, “For Revo-i to establish a solid foothold not only in Paraguay but across South America as a whole, a hub-based strategy centered on local training centers is essential. I understand that the company is also envisioning a roadmap in this direction,” expressing optimism about Revo-i’s expansion potential throughout the region.