“This intervention is the result of multidisciplinary work that directly involved the General Surgery, Anesthesiology, Operating Room services and a dedicated nursing team, with the aid of the surgical robot”, states the ULS Viseu Dão-Lafões in a note.
This first robotic surgery was “recently and successfully performed,” it adds, indicating that the intervention addressed the treatment of a colorectal lesion.
The same intervention, the health entity emphasises, was also pioneering at the Viseu Dão-Lafões Local Health Unit (ULS) in the use of Ligasure RAS technology, an advanced bipolar energy used for cutting and sealing vessels.
The robotic surgery was performed using the “Hugo™ RAS” system, a multi-quadrant modular platform designed for a wide range of surgical procedures and combining articulated instruments, 3D visualisation, and a surgical video recording option.
The equipment represents an investment of over €1.9 million, fully funded by the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR), according to the ULS.
“The new equipment, which is in operation at the São Teotónio Hospital [in Viseu], is designed for minimally invasive surgeries in the areas of General Surgery, Gynaecology, and Urology.”
According to the board of directors of the ULS Viseu Dão-Lafões, chaired by António Sequeira, the use of this equipment “allows for a reduction in hospitalisation and patient recovery time, with a faster return and a higher quality of life to their daily routine.”
Furthermore, it allows for “reducing the rate of complications and infections and increasing the surgeon's precision, facilitating access to anatomical areas that are difficult to reach.”
“By investing in advanced technology and specialised training, the Viseu Dão-Lafões Local Health Unit aims to guarantee state-of-the-art healthcare to its users regardless of their geographical location, reinforcing territorial cohesion, as well as conditions for attracting and retaining highly qualified professionals in the National Health Service (SNS),” the administration argues.
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Congratulations to Portugal for investing in the training and technology to be able to do robotic surgery. My husband was the third patient at Stanford Hospital in California to have this method used in October of 2013. The surgeon removed a cancerous throat tumor by entering through his mouth as opposed to the throat itself as prior surgeons had to do. It was indeed far less invasive as he did not require to speak through a voice box from then on, and there was not even surface scaring at all. He is still alive and well over 12 years later. This is a great day for medicine in Pt.
By Dorothy Hopkins from Algarve on 12 Feb 2026, 10:55