Quintana Roo Performs First Robotic Surgeries at Cancún General Hospital

Cancún, Quintana Roo — Quintana Roo has introduced robotic surgery into its public healthcare system, performing the first such operations at the Hospital General de Cancún "Dr. Jesús Kumate Rodríguez," state officials announced.

The first surgical session consisted of two cholecystectomies, or gallbladder removals, on patients older than 18. The operations were carried out with the VERSIUS modular robotic arm system, a technology that, according to local authorities, is available at only five hospitals in Mexico.

The surgeries marked the formal launch of the Robotic Surgery Program, inaugurated on August 31. Governor Mara Lezama Espinosa visited the hospital to see the system in action and said the technology will allow patients to undergo specialized procedures without traveling to other states.

"We successfully performed the first robotic surgeries at the Hospital General de Cancún ‘Dr. Jesús Kumate Rodríguez,’ making us a benchmark across the country," Lezama wrote on social media.

The first patient was a 48-year-old man diagnosed with chronic cholecystitis, a prolonged inflammation of the gallbladder. According to the state government, the surgery ended without complications and the patient was in good health afterward. A second gallbladder removal was also performed during the same session.

One of the operations was led by Dr. María de los Ángeles Martínez Ferretiz, a member of the surgery service and head professor of the General Surgery postgraduate course. State officials described her as the second woman certified in Mexico to use the VERSIUS system and the first on the Yucatán Peninsula.

The VERSIUS system features modular arms and gives surgeons a three-dimensional view of the operative area, improving reach, depth and precision. Officials and specialists point to several benefits: smaller incisions, greater precision, less bleeding, reduced postoperative pain, a lower risk of infection, faster recovery and an earlier return to routine activities.

Robotic surgery is a minimally invasive technique, but officials said its use depends on each patient’s diagnosis, clinical condition and the medical team’s assessment.

Lezama said the technology marks a new stage in specialized care at the state’s public hospitals and acknowledged the medical staff who prepared and performed the first operations.

The program aims to certify up to 16 surgeons currently working at the hospital. Training will cover general surgery, gynecology, urology and thoracic surgery.

As more specialists complete their certification, the hospital will gradually expand use of the VERSIUS system to more complex procedures, including hysterectomies, prostate cancer operations and other interventions requiring high precision. Officials said the expansion will be progressive and will depend on specialist training and patients’ clinical needs.

The introduction of robotic surgery at the public hospital is intended to spare Quintana Roo residents the cost and disruption of traveling to other states for certain high-specialty procedures. For patients and their families, traveling outside the state also means expenses for lodging, food and transportation.

The state government said the new equipment makes the Hospital General de Cancún a regional benchmark for medical innovation. Moving forward, authorities said the challenge will be to consolidate the program, increase the number of certified specialists and ensure the technology broadens access to procedures for people who rely on public healthcare services.