Robotic surgery is not an extravagant novelty, but a daily tool of modern medicine in many European countries, so its implementation in Latvia should not be delayed, said Igor Ivanov, president of the Latvian Association of Surgeons, to the LETA agency.
Ivanov claims that he has heard public statements about a possible postponement of the implementation of robotic surgery in the country. Although he does not specify who exactly said what, he emphasizes that such rhetoric could slow down the development of medicine in Latvia. Together with the head of the Department of General and Emergency Surgery at the Riga Eastern Clinical University Hospital (RAKUS), Alexey Kaminsky, he describes this way of thinking as "short-term."
According to specialists, robotic systems have been used in European countries for over ten years, and experience confirms that they improve surgical treatment outcomes, reduce the number of complications, and contribute to faster patient recovery.
Ivanov reports that this year a National Plan for Robotic Surgery in Latvia was developed and evaluated, involving 17 Latvian professors and specialists, including the chief physician of the Latvian Oncology Center RAKUS, Andrey Pchyolkin. Experts reached a common vision for the upcoming ten years.
The plan provides for the implementation of robotic surgery in university hospitals. Currently, it is planned to purchase two robots — one for the Eastern Hospital and the other for the P.Stradins Clinical University Hospital. There are also plans for training specialists, creating an innovation center, and gradually implementing technologies in the regions.
Ivanov points out that funding for robotic surgery has already been allocated with a specific deadline by which the funds must be utilized. Already, half of the initially planned funds have been redirected to the construction of the Latvian Oncology Center, while the remaining part is intended for the purchase of two robotic systems.
"If this step is not taken, Latvia risks missing the opportunity to create a modern and competitive surgical environment in the near future," Ivanov emphasizes.
In his opinion, the state healthcare system cannot exist in a plane where infrastructural problems automatically halt the technological development of medicine. If this principle were applied consistently, Latvia would never have been able to implement new treatment standards or innovations, the head of the association believes.
"We must not find ourselves in a situation where long-term plans are sacrificed for short-term needs, because as a result, the country will have neither modern infrastructure nor advanced treatment," Ivanov says.
The specialist reminds that robotic surgery is primarily necessary for patients — it will help them return to their daily lives faster and significantly reduce the risks of complications and disability. Secondly, this technology is also needed by Latvian surgeons who perform the most complex operations at the highest level and deserve the opportunity to work with tools that meet international standards.
If young specialists cannot master modern methods in Latvia, they will do so abroad, and as a result, the risk that the country will lose its talents will increase, Ivanov believes.
The president of the association emphasizes that the implementation of robotic surgery is not someone's whim or the ambitions of a specific hospital, but an objective necessity that needs to be realized.
As previously reported, the patient organization "Onkoalianse" also urged the Ministry of Health and other responsible institutions to take immediate steps to procure robotic surgery systems using available funding from European Union funds.
The organization expressed concern that there is a risk of unutilized EU funds allocated for the purchase of systems for treating cancer patients. "If decisions are not made in the near future, there is a real risk that 4.5 million euros will not be used by the established deadline — May 2026," the organization stated in October.
"Onkoalianse" clarified that a total of 9 million euros from EU funds was allocated for the purchase of robotic surgery systems for Latvia. Half of this amount is directed towards the reconstruction of the inpatient facility of the Latvian Oncology Center, while the remaining funds are intended for the acquisition of robotic surgical systems.
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