Recently, the Urology Department of Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, led by Professor Zhu Shaoxing, successfully performed a left adrenal pheochromocytoma resection on a patient using a domestic single-port robotic surgical system. The tumor measured 6 cm in diameter. The successful completion of this surgery marks a new stage for the hospital's Urology Department in single-port robot-assisted laparoscopic complex tumor surgery and precision treatment.

01 Challenging the "Surgical Forbidden Zone": A 6 cm "Hormone Bomb"

Mr. Li, An elderly patient, was referred to Professor Zhu Shaoxing's outpatient clinic at the hospital due to "recurrent headache, palpitations, and elevated blood pressure for over a year." After various laboratory tests and examinations, he was diagnosed with a left adrenal pheochromocytoma. Surgical resection of the tumor was required to normalize his blood pressure. After being informed of the treatment plan and surgical risks, Mr. Li decided to undergo surgery. Pheochromocytoma is known as the "hormone bomb" within the abdominal cavity. The greatest intraoperative risk is that when the tumor is compressed, large amounts of catecholamines are released into the bloodstream, causing drastic blood pressure fluctuations and potentially leading to cardiovascular or cerebrovascular accidents.

Mr. Li's pheochromocytoma measured 6 cm in diameter and was closely associated with surrounding major blood vessels (left renal artery and vein, splenic artery and vein) and vital organs (left kidney, pancreas, colon, spleen), leaving limited surgical space. Faced with this highly challenging case, Professor Zhu Shaoxing's team at the hospital's Urology Department convened multidisciplinary discussions and conducted thorough preoperative preparations. They decided to rise to the challenge, leveraging the extreme minimally invasive advantages of the domestic single-port robot to perform precise "bomb disposal."

02 Technology Empowerment: The "Fingertip Art" of the Single-Port Robot

This surgery utilized a single-port robotic surgical system representing the pinnacle of domestic minimally invasive technology. Compared to traditional multi-port robotic surgery, the single-port robot requires only a small 2–3 cm incision in the patient's abdomen to complete the entire procedure.

During the surgery, the lead surgeon, Professor Zhu Shaoxing, operated the robot's unique "snake-arm" instruments, achieving flexibility and precision beyond human capability within the tight space. Leveraging the high-definition 3D visualization and tremor filtration function, the team successfully and precisely dissected, ligated, and divided the tumor's blood vessels without compressing or touching the tumor,perfectly averting the risk of a hypertensive crisis during surgery.

03 Cumulative Expertise: Minimally Invasive Technology Reaches a "New Level"

As a provincial-level key clinical specialty of Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, the Urology Department has consistently been at the forefront of the province in departmental construction, disciplinary development, and technological innovation. From "minimally invasive" to "extreme minimally invasive," from "multi-port" to "single-port," the hospital's Urology Department, in close collaboration with multidisciplinary teams including Endocrinology, Cardiology, Anesthesiology, and the nursing staff, continues to demonstrate the commitment of Union Hospital's medical staff to safeguarding life and health and pursuing the concept of precision minimally invasive surgery through one technological breakthrough after another.

The hospital's Urology Department will continue to uphold the philosophy of innovation-driven development, continuously introduce cutting-edge medical technologies, and provide all patients with more precise, safer, and higher-quality medical services.