European master's degree in pediatric robotic surgery at Federico II, intensive training in hi-tech operating rooms kicks off

A one-year commitment, 1,500 hours of training, including 100 hours of practical activity, at the robotic simulator, in the experimental operating room, plus intensive training in the operating rooms of accredited centers and online teaching. This is the program of the first European Master's program in Pediatric Robotic Surgery, held at the University of Naples Federico II in the hi-tech operating rooms of the University Hospital.

Led by Professor Ciro Esposito, director of the U.O.C. of Pediatric Surgery and the Regional Reference Center for Pediatric Robotic Surgery, together with Professors Mohan Gundeti of the University of Chicago and Thomas Blanc and Arnaud Bonnard of the University of Paris, the Master's program will feature 30 pediatric surgeons from all over the world who have been experimenting with innovative approaches, such as the combination of robotic surgery, artificial intelligence and ICG fluorescence-guided surgery, since last June.

"Pediatric robotic surgery," explains Professor Esposito, " allows for less invasive surgeries, reducing surgical trauma and improving postoperative recovery. Robotic technology also offers magnified three-dimensional vision and more precise movements, allowing complex surgeries with greater accuracy. At our Pediatric Surgery we have the most technologically advanced operating rooms existing in Italy," stresses Prof. Esposito.

The Master's course has obtained the patronage of all the major European and Italian Societies of Pediatric Surgery: EUPSA, ESPES, ESPU, SICP and SIVI. At the end of the course, a theoretical-practical exam will be held, and a European certification will be issued, a kind of patent that will authorize those enrolled to operate in robotic surgery.

Confirming the importance of training in this area is a recent interview with the Financial Times by the British Health Minister, who places robotic surgery at the center of the 10-year plan for the National Health Service.

"At the AOU Federico II, pediatric robotic surgery began in 2017, demonstrating over time the effectiveness and safety of this technology and helping to reduce extra-regional migration of pediatric patients and their families. Characteristics include the need for specific training and requiring constant trainings by the team of surgeons, anesthesiologists and nurses," adds Professor Esposito, recently appointed president of the American Society of Pediatric Laparoscopic Surgery (IPEG).