The short answer
Vietnam’s surgical robotics expansion is following two distinct but complementary models.
The first is capital intensive. Private hospital groups and major medical centers purchase multimillion-dollar robotic platforms, build dedicated surgical programs and concentrate trained specialists at selected facilities.
The second is knowledge intensive. Public and teaching hospitals use live surgical demonstrations, shared conferences and inter-hospital clinical networks to distribute specialist knowledge beyond the institutions that physically own the machines.
That second model was visible in Da Nang on August 1 and 2, 2026, when more than 800 Vietnamese and international delegates attended the International Inter-Hospital Scientific Conference. The program included nearly 200 presentations and live broadcasts of da Vinci robotic urological surgery, CORI-assisted knee replacement, endoscopic spine surgery and complex cardiovascular interventions. Nhan Dan Online
The event did not turn regional hospitals into robotic surgery centers overnight. It did something more fundamental: it allowed physicians from institutions with very different levels of infrastructure to observe the same procedures, question the operating teams and begin developing a shared clinical vocabulary.
For emerging healthcare markets, that may be as important as purchasing the robots themselves.
A conference built around operating rooms rather than product launches
The 2026 conference was held at the Ariyana International Convention Centre in Da Nang under the theme “Evidence-Based Medicine from Multidimensional Perspectives.”
It was co-organized by Hanoi Medical University Hospital, Da Nang Hospital and participating member hospitals. Delegates included physicians and researchers from Vietnam, Thailand, Taiwan, Japan and China. The program combined keynote lectures, scientific reports, satellite symposia, specialist sessions, a young-presenter competition and live clinical cases. Nhan Dan Online
The most strategically important part of the program was not a conventional keynote.
It was a series of procedures broadcast from operating theatres and interventional suites.
These included:
da Vinci robotic urological surgery;
CORI robotic-assisted knee replacement;
endoscopic spine surgery;
congenital heart disease interventions;
complex coronary interventions;
other advanced procedures performed at participating hospitals.
The operating teams demonstrated their workflow while clinicians at the conference observed the cases and discussed technical and clinical decisions.
This should not be confused with telesurgery. The physicians in the conference hall were not remotely controlling instruments inside the patient. The format was an interactive educational broadcast: the surgery remained under the control and responsibility of the clinical team inside the operating room.
That distinction matters because the near-term value of connected surgery may come less from remote operation and more from remote observation, mentoring and standardization.
Vietnam’s two-track model
Vietnam’s robotic surgery development cannot accurately be described as a purely private-sector project.
The country’s first da Vinci program began in 2014 at Vietnam National Children’s Hospital, a public institution in Hanoi. Binh Dan Hospital introduced the first adult da Vinci program in 2016, followed by Cho Ray Hospital in 2017. Vinmec opened Vietnam’s first private robotic surgery center in 2018.
The present market is therefore better understood as a mixed system.
The capital-deployment model
Private systems such as Vinmec and FV Hospital can concentrate capital, procurement, training and patient flow.
FV Hospital formally launched its da Vinci Robotic Surgery Centre on March 12, 2026, after acquiring a da Vinci Xi platform in late 2025. FV said it was the fourth Vietnamese hospital to acquire a da Vinci system and the second to operate the Xi generation.
In June 2026, Vinmec announced a connected high-technology robotic surgery ecosystem incorporating platforms that included:
da Vinci Xi;
Medtronic Hugo RAS;
Toumai MT-1000;
Zimmer Biomet ROSA;
Smith+Nephew CORI;
Medtronic Mazor X.
Vinmec described these systems as being connected across multiple hospitals to support knowledge sharing and broaden patient access.
The knowledge-distribution model
Public teaching networks operate under different constraints.
Many provincial hospitals cannot immediately justify the capital cost, service contract, training burden and case volume required for a major surgical robotics program. But their clinicians can still enter the learning network through:
live-case observation;
multidisciplinary case discussions;
visiting fellowships;
shared protocols;
proctoring;
regional conferences;
referral relationships;
joint research.
The Da Nang conference represents this second path.
One model distributes machines. The other distributes capability.
Vietnam is developing both at the same time.
Why da Vinci Xi and CORI should not be treated as comparable products
The two most visible robotic systems demonstrated at the conference perform fundamentally different jobs.
Da Vinci Xi is a multiport soft-tissue surgical platform used across specialties including urology, general surgery, gynecology and thoracic surgery.
CORI is a compact, handheld orthopedic robotics platform used to support joint-replacement planning and bone preparation.
| Dimension | da Vinci Xi | CORI |
|---|---|---|
| Primary application | Minimally invasive soft-tissue surgery | Knee and joint-replacement procedures |
| Surgeon interface | Seated surgeon console | Surgeon-held milling instrument and navigation interface |
| Robotic architecture | Multiple powered patient-side arms | Compact handheld robotic system |
| Imaging model | Endoscopic 3DHD vision | Optical tracking and digital bone model |
| Autonomy | Surgeon-controlled | Surgeon-controlled |
| Preoperative CT | Not central to its operating model | Image-free workflow can avoid CT/MRI |
| Infrastructure | Large installed platform and dedicated OR workflow | Small footprint and portable architecture |
| Commercial logic | Multi-specialty surgical program | Orthopedic procedure-specific deployment |
The conference’s inclusion of both platforms shows that “surgical robotics” is no longer one product category.
It is becoming a collection of specialized architectures designed around different anatomy, workflow, imaging and capital requirements.
How the da Vinci Xi system works
The da Vinci Xi is a surgeon-controlled, computer-assisted surgical system made by Intuitive Surgical.
It consists of three principal elements:
a surgeon console;
a patient-side cart carrying the surgical arms;
a vision cart supporting imaging and system electronics.
The surgeon sits at the console and controls the camera and instruments. Movements made at the hand controls are translated into corresponding instrument movements at the patient cart. The system does not independently decide where to cut, how to manage tissue or when to proceed.
Three-dimensional visualization
The console provides a magnified, stereoscopic 3DHD image. Intuitive states that the surgical field can be magnified up to ten times relative to unaided human vision. This can improve depth perception when working in narrow anatomical spaces.
Wristed instruments
Da Vinci instruments are designed to bend and rotate beyond the range available from conventional rigid laparoscopic instruments.
Multiport Xi instruments and the endoscope are generally 8 millimeters in diameter, although certain stapling instruments are larger.
Tremor filtration and motion translation
The platform applies tremor-filtering and motion technologies to convert the surgeon’s hand movements into controlled instrument movement.
It is reasonable to describe this as improving stability and fine control. It is not reasonable to assign one universal motion-scaling ratio to every procedure without documentation from the relevant system configuration.
The robot does not perform the operation
The term “robotic surgery” can create a misleading mental image of autonomous machinery.
Intuitive explicitly states that the surgeon performs the operation. The platform is a sophisticated instrument-control system—not an autonomous clinical decision-maker.
Vietnam’s da Vinci history is longer than the current investment cycle
Vietnam first introduced da Vinci surgery in 2014 at the National Children’s Hospital in Hanoi.
The initial program focused on pediatric minimally invasive procedures. Binh Dan Hospital later became the first hospital in the country to operate a robotic program for adult patients, while Cho Ray Hospital became another major public adopter.
The 2026 expansion is therefore not the beginning of robotic surgery in Vietnam.
It represents a transition from a small number of isolated flagship systems toward:
newer-generation platforms;
wider specialty coverage;
connected hospital systems;
greater private investment;
more structured training;
broader regional diffusion.
FV Hospital’s March 2026 Xi center and the Da Nang conference belong to the same transition, even though one is a private capital project and the other is an academic-network project.
How CORI builds a knee model without a preoperative CT scan
CORI uses a different technical model.
The system supports image-free intraoperative mapping. During the operation, the surgical team registers the patient’s anatomy and builds a patient-specific three-dimensional model of the knee.
Smith+Nephew describes the workflow as combining:
image-free smart mapping;
real-time surgical planning;
intraoperative gap assessment;
precision handheld milling;
assessment of implant alignment and balance.
This means a CORI procedure can be planned without requiring a preoperative CT or MRI scan.
The word can is important.
Smith+Nephew also offers optional image-based preoperative planning services. CORI should therefore be described as supporting an image-free workflow, not as a platform that is categorically incompatible with preoperative imaging.
Optical tracking
During surgery, trackers and an optical camera allow the system to monitor the relationship between the patient’s anatomy and the surgical instruments.
Smith+Nephew states that the ATRACSYS tracking system has a refresh rate 458% faster than the previous NAVIO generation. That is a manufacturer comparison with the company’s earlier system, not evidence that CORI is 458% more accurate than competing robots or conventional surgery.
Handheld milling
Unlike a large fixed robotic arm, CORI uses a surgeon-held milling handpiece.
The system’s digital plan and tracking environment help the surgeon remove bone according to the selected implant position and alignment strategy. The surgeon remains responsible for planning and executing the procedure.
Portability
CORI has a relatively small operating-room footprint and is designed to be moved between theatres.
For hospitals unable to dedicate an entire room to a large orthopedic robot, that can alter the economic calculation.
However, portability does not eliminate the need for:
trained surgeons;
trained operating-room staff;
compatible implants;
instrument sterilization;
optical tracker setup;
technical maintenance;
software support;
case-volume planning;
rehabilitation protocols.
A compact robot reduces one infrastructure barrier. It does not remove the entire implementation burden.
CORI’s arrival in Central Vietnam
Vinmec Da Nang announced Central Vietnam’s first CORI-assisted total knee replacement program in April 2026.
The hospital described a workflow in which a three-dimensional knee model was generated during surgery without a preoperative CT scan. Its first reported patient was able to stand and begin assisted walking after the procedure.
That individual case is useful as an implementation example.
It is not, by itself, evidence that all CORI patients will walk within a fixed number of hours or experience shorter stays than all conventionally treated patients.
The distinction between a case report, a manufacturer claim and comparative clinical evidence should remain explicit in Robotopian’s article.
What the clinical evidence supports
Robotic surgery marketing often compresses several different claims into one message:
more precise tools;
smaller incisions;
less blood loss;
less pain;
shorter hospitalization;
faster recovery;
fewer complications;
better long-term results.
These claims are not equally supported, and results vary substantially by procedure.
Evidence for robotic-assisted knee replacement
The strongest recurring finding is improved accuracy of component positioning and mechanical alignment.
A 2024 systematic review and meta-analysis found that robot-assisted total knee arthroplasty produced more accurate alignment but did not consistently produce superior clinical outcomes. Manual surgery had shorter operating times in the reviewed studies.
A later review of randomized trials similarly found fewer alignment outliers with robotic assistance, but no consistent advantage in WOMAC or Oxford Knee Score outcomes. Robot-assisted procedures took approximately 20 minutes longer on average.
Some observational studies have associated robotic-assisted knee replacement with shorter hospital stays, but length of stay also depends on:
patient selection;
anesthesia;
pain management;
rehabilitation pathways;
hospital discharge policies;
surgeon experience;
national healthcare practices.
The evidence supports a claim of greater planning and alignment precision more strongly than a universal claim of better recovery or superior long-term function.
Evidence for da Vinci surgery
The same caution applies to soft-tissue robotic surgery.
Da Vinci can provide important technical advantages in visualization, dexterity and access. Whether those technical advantages translate into better patient outcomes depends on the procedure.
In the randomized ROLARR trial of rectal-cancer surgery, robotic assistance did not produce a statistically significant reduction in conversion to open surgery compared with conventional laparoscopy.
For some procedures and patient groups, robotic surgery may provide measurable advantages. For others, outcomes may be broadly similar to high-quality laparoscopy while the robotic procedure carries higher capital and instrument costs.
The most defensible formulation is:
Robotic systems expand the surgeon’s technical capabilities, but clinical benefit must be evaluated procedure by procedure rather than assumed from the presence of a robot.
Why live cases matter more than promotional demonstrations
A prerecorded video shows a selected procedure after editing.
A live case exposes participants to:
actual operating-room workflow;
patient-specific anatomy;
setup and docking;
instrument selection;
pauses and adjustments;
intraoperative judgment;
communication among the clinical team;
unexpected complexity.
It also allows clinicians to ask questions while the procedure is underway.
That creates a different educational asset from a product demonstration.
For regional medical systems, live-case teaching can support three forms of diffusion.
1. Cognitive diffusion
Clinicians learn what the system can and cannot do.
This can prevent two opposite errors:
assuming robotics is unsuitable for their patients;
assuming a robot automatically improves every procedure.
2. Workflow diffusion
Hospitals see that adoption involves more than buying equipment.
They observe the requirements for:
patient selection;
room setup;
anesthesia;
sterilization;
surgical team coordination;
troubleshooting;
postoperative recovery;
credentialing.
3. Referral-network diffusion
A provincial hospital may decide not to purchase a platform immediately.
It can still identify suitable patients, refer them to a specialist center and coordinate follow-up care locally.
In that sense, knowledge distribution can improve access before hardware distribution reaches every province.
Da Nang’s healthcare strategy
Da Nang’s municipal leadership has identified high-quality healthcare as both a social priority and a component of sustainable development.
At the conference, Vice Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Anh Thi said the city aims to strengthen its role as a specialized medical center for Central Vietnam and the Central Highlands. She pointed to international cooperation, advanced technology and workforce development as central parts of that strategy. Nhan Dan Online
That ambition is economically logical.
A regional medical center can generate value through:
specialized treatment;
physician training;
medical tourism;
university partnerships;
clinical research;
referral networks;
device-company collaboration;
retention of patients who would otherwise travel to Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City or overseas.
Robotic surgery is therefore not only a technology purchase.
It can become an anchor for a wider specialist-care ecosystem.
The strategic advantage of a mixed public-private model
Private systems can often move faster in procurement and program construction.
Public teaching hospitals provide:
large patient populations;
residency and fellowship programs;
national referral responsibilities;
clinical research;
academic legitimacy;
access to physicians outside major private centers.
Neither model is sufficient by itself.
A system made up only of expensive private centers risks concentrating robotic care among wealthier urban patients.
A public system without capital investment risks creating awareness without giving clinicians enough opportunities to practice.
Vietnam’s emerging structure is potentially more durable because it combines:
private capital;
public academic medicine;
manufacturer training;
international collaboration;
provincial hospital participation;
live knowledge transfer.
The relevant policy question is not whether public or private hospitals should “win.”
It is whether the two systems can share standards, training and evidence while maintaining appropriate clinical governance.
What hospital executives should evaluate before buying a surgical robot
The conference demonstrates clinical possibilities, but procurement decisions require a different analytical framework.
Hospital executives should evaluate at least seven variables.
1. Addressable case volume
How many patients at the institution are genuinely appropriate for the system’s approved indications?
A robot that is technically impressive but used only a few times per month may be difficult to sustain.
2. Procedure economics
The acquisition price is only one component.
Total cost can include:
consumable instruments;
service contracts;
software;
room modification;
sterilization;
staff training;
proctoring;
system downtime;
financing;
additional operating time.
3. Surgeon and team development
A trained surgeon cannot operate an effective program alone.
Nurses, anesthesiologists, technicians, sterilization staff, biomedical engineers and administrators also need system-specific workflows.
4. Clinical evidence
The question is not whether robotic surgery is generally “better.”
The question is:
For this procedure, this patient group and this institution, which measurable outcomes are expected to improve?
5. Referral network
A center with strong regional referrals can sustain more case volume than a technically capable but isolated hospital.
6. Service coverage
Hospitals should examine:
local field service;
spare-part availability;
response times;
uptime guarantees;
software support;
training continuity;
system replacement policies.
7. Data and cybersecurity
Modern surgical systems are networked digital devices.
Procurement reviews should address:
data ownership;
video storage;
remote diagnostics;
software updates;
user access;
network segmentation;
incident response;
patient privacy.
What the next phase must prove
Can knowledge transfer produce measurable clinical capability?
Conference attendance is not equivalent to surgical competency.
The network’s success should eventually be measured through:
structured training completion;
supervised cases;
credentialing;
complication rates;
conversion rates;
procedure duration;
repeatable outcomes;
cross-hospital referrals.
Can regional centers sustain enough case volume?
A surgical robotics program needs sufficient activity to maintain clinical proficiency and cover its fixed costs.
Can systems reduce geographic inequality?
The strongest outcome would not be the number of robots installed in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City.
It would be a measurable reduction in the number of patients forced to travel long distances for specialized treatment.
Can hospitals publish independent evidence?
Manufacturer-sponsored data is useful but incomplete.
Vietnamese hospitals have an opportunity to publish local evidence on:
patient selection;
costs;
operating times;
complications;
hospital stay;
functional outcomes;
learning curves;
long-term revision rates.
Can the public and private systems share standards?
Different brands and hospital groups will inevitably compete.
Patients benefit when credentialing, safety reporting and outcome measurement remain comparable across institutions.
Final assessment
Vietnam’s surgical robotics story is not simply about importing advanced equipment.
It is about designing an institutional system capable of turning equipment into repeatable clinical competence.
The private-hospital model can accelerate deployment. It concentrates capital, platforms and specialists and can create integrated centers quickly.
The inter-hospital academic model performs a different function. It spreads knowledge, exposes regional clinicians to modern workflows and creates relationships among institutions that may not yet own equivalent technology.
The Da Nang conference showed why both models are necessary.
Da Vinci Xi demonstrated how a large, console-operated platform can extend the surgeon’s vision and dexterity in complex soft-tissue procedures.
CORI demonstrated how a smaller, image-free handheld system can bring digital planning and precision milling into orthopedic surgery without requiring a preoperative CT-based workflow.
Neither platform operates autonomously.
Neither guarantees superior outcomes simply because it is robotic.
Their value depends on the clinical teams, procedure selection, training, service infrastructure and evidence surrounding them.
The number of surgical robots installed in Vietnam will continue to attract attention.
The more important metric will be how effectively Vietnam distributes the ability to use them safely.
Frequently Asked Questions
When was robotic surgery first introduced in Vietnam?
Vietnam’s first da Vinci surgical program began in 2014 at Vietnam National Children’s Hospital in Hanoi. Binh Dan Hospital introduced robotic surgery for adult patients in 2016, followed by additional public and private hospitals.
Does the da Vinci Xi robot perform surgery autonomously?
No. The surgeon sits at a console and controls the system’s instruments and camera in real time. Da Vinci systems are not programmed to perform the operation independently. Intuitive Surgical
What advantages does the da Vinci Xi provide?
The system provides magnified 3DHD visualization, wristed instruments, tremor filtration and computer-assisted movement. These features may improve access, stability and dexterity, but clinical outcomes vary by procedure and surgeon experience.
Does CORI require a CT scan before knee replacement surgery?
CORI supports image-free intraoperative mapping and can build a three-dimensional model of the knee without a preoperative CT or MRI scan. Optional image-based planning services are also available, so its workflow should be described as CT-independent rather than CT-incompatible.
Is robotic knee replacement clinically better than conventional surgery?
Robotic assistance generally improves the accuracy of implant alignment and reduces alignment outliers. Current randomized evidence has not consistently demonstrated superior patient-reported functional outcomes, and robotic procedures may take longer.
Were the Da Nang conference procedures remotely operated?
No evidence indicates that the conference involved remote control of the surgical robots. The procedures were performed by operating-room teams and broadcast live to conference participants for interactive education. Nhan Dan Online
Why is CORI relevant to regional hospitals?
CORI has a compact footprint and supports image-free intraoperative planning, which can reduce dependence on a CT-based preoperative workflow. However, regional deployment still requires trained teams, compatible implants, technical service and sufficient procedure volume.