Dresden Surgery Recognized as a Center of Excellence for Robotic Procedures.

The German Society for General and Visceral Surgery (DGAV) has certified the Department of Visceral, Thoracic and Vascular Surgery at Carl Gustav Carus Dresden University Hospital as a Center of Excellence for Minimally Invasive and Robotic Surgery. The award was granted at the end of 2025. Nationwide, only five such centers currently exist, with Dresden being the only one in Saxony.

Through this certification, the DGAV recognizes high quality standards as well as outstanding achievements in patient care, research, and teaching. Each year, more than 3,000 patients undergo surgical treatment at Dresden University Hospital. Approximately 900 procedures are performed minimally invasively, around 300 of them with robotic assistance—using systems such as Da Vinci and HUGO. These techniques enable particularly gentle procedures with smaller incisions, less postoperative pain, and shorter hospital stays.

The certification was initiated and substantially prepared by Marius Distler, Professor of Minimally Invasive and Robotic Surgery at the Faculty of Medicine of TU Dresden, together with senior consultant PD Florian Oehme. “For more than ten years, we have continuously developed minimally invasive and robotic surgery in Dresden. This certification confirms our path and at the same time motivates us to further expand innovative techniques and systematically integrate them into patient care,” said Professor Distler.

During the DGAV audit, special recognition was given to the training concept of the Surgical Skills Lab, which plays a central role in educating young surgeons. Minimally invasive and robotic techniques are taught there in a structured, stepwise, and hands-on manner. The close integration of simulation training, clinical application, and scientific supervision is regarded as a key component of sustainable quality assurance and ongoing advancement in the field.

© Lassig/UKDD

© Lassig/UKDD