Domestically developed surgical robots make the cut

China-developed one-hole surgical robots are in line with the world-leading Da Vinci robots in terms of patient after-surgery blood loss, medical experts and scientists heard at a forum on domestic surgical robots.

More innovation and clinical practice are required to boost improvements in domestic surgical robots, experts told the forum organized by the Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine.

Local experts said robot surgeries for joint, lung, eye and ear as well as artificial intelligence won't take the place of doctors. But doctors who don't grasp AI technology will be replaced with doctors with such skills and abilities.

Currently, Chinese hospitals have turned from users of imported surgical robots to partners with domestic surgical robot development.

Domestic systems will play a more important role in China's clinical practice in the future, said Fan Xianqun, director of the Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine.

Innovative thoughts on the development, proper price and introduction of surgical robots into the medical insurance system are all important to further boost the development of domestic surgical robots, insiders said.