Tam Anh General Hospital Ho Chi Minh City is the first facility in Southern Vietnam to operate the 4th generation da Vinci Xi robot system, a leading modern generation currently available in Southeast Asia and globally approved by the US FDA. The da Vinci Xi robot can perform over 120 types of surgeries across many specialties. Recently, doctors successfully used the da Vinci Xi robot for thyroid patients, following its successful implementation in four fields: urology, thoracic - vascular surgery, digestive surgery, and obstetrics and gynecology.

Doctor Nguyen Anh Dung, Head of Thoracic - Vascular Surgery Department at Tam Anh General Hospital Ho Chi Minh City, stated that open thyroid surgery has long been a classic method for treating thyroid cancer. However, a drawback of this method is the long scar it leaves on the front of the neck, affecting aesthetics. In recent years, laparoscopic thyroid surgery for small thyroid nodules has been widely adopted due to its effectiveness and lower cost. Yet, traditional laparoscopic instruments are straight, limiting their range of motion and making surgical maneuvers difficult.

"The da Vinci Xi robot overcomes almost all of those limitations," Dr. Dung said, further explaining that the robotic system features robotic arms capable of flexible 540-degree rotation thanks to human-wrist simulation technology. Combined with sharp, magnified 3D images, this allows surgeons to easily distinguish vital structures such as nerves, parathyroid glands, or tiny blood vessels around the thyroid, enabling comfortable manipulation without affecting surrounding areas.

The robotic arm assists in cleanly resecting the thyroid lobe, minimizing damage to surrounding tissue. *Photo: Thuy Trang*

The first patient to undergo thyroid surgery with the da Vinci Xi robot at Tam Anh General Hospital was Ms. Oanh, 55 years old, who had a thyroid nodule approximately 5 mm in size. Fine needle aspiration (FNA) indicated a high risk of malignancy. Doctors advised surgery, but she hesitated due to concerns about open surgery. This time, she traveled from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City for robotic surgery.

To avoid a long neck scar, doctors made an incision in the armpit on the same side as the tumor. They then created a tunnel from the armpit to the neck, introducing four robotic arms to access the thyroid. Supported by a 3D camera that magnifies the surgical area up to 15 times, doctors could clearly observe and easily control the recurrent laryngeal nerve, preventing postoperative hoarseness for the patient.

The thyroid gland is surrounded by a dense system of important blood vessels. The camera helps doctors clearly visualize this area, while the da Vinci Xi robot's vessel sealing instrument allows for precise dissection, tissue cutting, and immediate hemostasis, thereby reducing damage to surrounding tissue. The team resected one thyroid lobe for a frozen section biopsy, which returned benign results.

Ms. Oanh was alert and eating normally one day after surgery, experienced little pain, and her incision was discreetly hidden in her armpit. She was discharged after two days. For the first two weeks, she needed to avoid causing pressure on her neck and central chest area. Her diet should ensure adequate nutrition, with limited fried foods, alcohol, and tobacco. Patients also need to closely monitor for any abnormal signs, such as pain or swelling at the surgical site, to seek timely medical attention.

Dr. Dung checks on the patient's health after surgery. *Photo: Ha Vu*

After 7 months, Tam Anh Hospital has performed nearly 200 robotic surgeries, including many complex diseases and advanced cancer cases. In early December 2025, the hospital received a certificate of excellence in robotic surgery application from the Device Technologies Medical Technology Group.

According to data published at the ISPOR 2021 Conference, da Vinci Xi robot-assisted surgery reduces the risk of blood transfusion by 70%, 30-day complications by 39%, shortens average hospital stay by 1,9 days, and reduces mortality risk by 57% compared to traditional open surgery. Compared to conventional laparoscopic surgery, this method also shows effectiveness by reducing the risk of blood transfusion by 28%, complications by 14%, and mortality risk by 33%.

Thu Ha

*Patient's name has been changed