Rijeka Hospital Performs First Robotic Digestive Surgeries
Anatomical Studies: a left forearm in two positions and a right forearm — Peter Paul Rubens, ca. 1600–05
What Happened
KBC Rijeka carried out its first digestive surgeries using a da Vinci robotic system, launching a new robotic surgery programme at the hospital. The procedures were led by Professor Marko Zelić and Dr Dorian Kršul, with an international proctor from Bulgaria overseeing the team. The system was financed by Croatia's state budget.
Why It Matters
This caps almost two decades of the department building up laparoscopic surgery from scratch. A regional hospital just added a tool that's normally associated with major national centers. For now, it's only for carefully selected patients while teams train up — the real test is whether that expands or stalls.
What's Next
KBC Rijeka says it will gradually add robotic-assisted procedures to regular surgery as teams complete training.