The Son Espases University Hospital has achieved a milestone in the public healthcare system of the Balearic Islands by performing the first robotic thoracic surgeries, strengthening its commitment to medical innovation and excellence.

The new technique, carried out using the Da Vinci XI robotic platform, enables the treatment of complex thoracic conditions through minimally invasive procedures. This results in faster recovery, less postoperative pain, and improved clinical outcomes for patients.

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Son Espases pioneers robotic thoracic surgery in Balearic public healthcare

The system combines conventional video-assisted thoracic surgery with robotic precision: four articulated arms replicate the surgeon’s movements with immersive 3D vision and 360-degree rotation. This allows for procedures such as lung lobectomies, thymectomies, and mediastinal tumour resections without the need for large incisions, significantly reducing surgical trauma.

Patients benefit from reduced pain, shorter hospital stays, fewer complications, better preservation of lung function, and quicker return to daily life. In oncology, the effectiveness of this technique is comparable —and in some cases superior— to open surgery in early-stage lung cancer.

The robotic thoracic surgery program was approved earlier this year. Doctors Ángel Francisco Carvajal Carrasco and Orlando Gigirey completed their specialised training in Amsterdam, where they obtained official certification as console surgeon and assistant, respectively.

With this step forward, Son Espases positions itself as a pioneer in robotic surgery in the Balearic Islands, leading the way towards safer, more precise, and patient-centred medicine.