Henry Dunant Hospital Center has marked a major milestone in endocrine surgery in Greece with the country's first robotic transoral thyroidectomy. The procedure was performed by the Hospital’s Endocrine Surgery Clinic and Parathyroid Surgery Department, ushering in a new era in the use of advanced technologies in this field.
Led by the Clinic’s Director, Kyriakos Vamvakidis, and in collaboration with internationally renowned surgeon Professor Seokmo Kim of South Korea, the surgical team successfully and safely performed the robotic thyroidectomy on a 42-year-old patient from Athens. The procedure was performed using a state-of-the-art robotic system, which provides exceptional precision, stability and control throughout surgery. What makes this innovative procedure unique is that it was performed without any incisions in the neck, using a transoral approach through the oral cavity, resulting in an almost bloodless procedure and a faster recovery. The patient was discharged the day after surgery and promptly resumed her normal daily activities.
“Robotic surgery is opening up new possibilities in thyroid surgery, thanks to the precision and technological advantages it offers. However, robotic thyroid surgery comes with specific indications and limitations. Not every patient is a suitable candidate for transoral robotic thyroidectomy. However, following careful evaluation and depending on the size of the tumor, a significant number of patients can benefit from this approach,” said Mr. Vamvakidis, noting that, until now, thyroid surgery has been limited to the conventional open approach through a neck incision and, only in very rare cases, to non-robotic endoscopic techniques.
Henry Dunant Hospital Center and the IMITHEA Group are committed to playing a leading role in robotic surgery by continuously investing in state-of-the-art robotic systems, enabling the use of robotic techniques across a broad range of surgical specialties. The successful completion of Greece’s first robotic transoral thyroidectomy confirms the potential of modern medical technology and further strengthens the position of the Greek medical community in the field of advanced surgical innovation, paving the way for the broader adoption of robotic surgery with even higher standards of quality and patient safety.
IMITHEA Group operates a strong healthcare network comprising six General Clinics—Henry Dunan Hospital in Athens, Kyanous Stavros General Clinic and General Genesis Clinic in Thessaloniki, General Clinic in Rhodes, and General Clinic in Kozani—along with a state-of-the-art Rehabilitation Center (Arogi, in Pylaia, Thessaloniki) and a pioneering Assisted Reproduction Unit (IVF Fertilia, in Thessaloniki). Together, these facilities form one of the fastest-growing pillars of private healthcare in Greece. The Group has a total capacity of 1,360 inpatient beds, collaborates with more than 3,300 physicians across all specialties, and serves over 600,000 patients annually.
