REVO

meerecompany, developer of the Revo-i Surgical Robotic System, has been increasing its market share in the global surgical robot market. In September of last year, Revo-i was exported to Uzbekistan for the first time, achieving 100 robot surgeries within 10 months at Shox International Hospital, one of the largest private hospitals in Uzbekistan.

Dr. Zarifkhoja BaKhadirkhanov (Dr. Zarif), urologist of Republican Specialized Scienti­fic-Practical Medical Center of Urology in Uzbekistan, visited meerecompany in August. Korean medical media Whosaeng met with Dr. Zarif to discuss his experience with Revo-i surgeries, the current status of robot surgery in Uzbekistan, and future plans for activating robot surgery in the Central Asia region.

Revo-i Surgical Robotic System

“Patient satisfaction with Revo-i is very high. There have been no complications, and no serious issues have arisen. From the surgeon’s perspective, there are advantages in being able to perform surgery with high accuracy and precision. Additionally, Revo-i has high-quality instruments, allowing for successful surgeries.”

Dr. Zarif stated, “Introducing and using a surgical robot in Uzbekistan was not easy, but as a surgeon, it was essential. I decided to introduce Revo-i after seeing its high precision and stability among many surgical robots.”

Dr. Zarif listed the prevention of patient disengagement as a reason for deciding to introduce the surgical robot. According to him, many patients from Uzbekistan currently go abroad for surgery. As an example, Dr. Zarif explained that approximately 12,000 Uzbek patients visited one private hospital in Türkiye in one year. Expressing regret about this situation, he emphasized that the goal is to activate Revo-i robotic surgeries so that these patients can receive adequate treatment in Uzbekistan.

Reflecting on the five years it took from market research to the final introduction of Revo-i, Dr. Zarif recalled the challenges. The market research showed that existing surgical robot products were being selectively sold depending on the country. Uzbekistan was not on the list of target countries for sales of these products. Consequently, those products were excluded from consideration. Meanwhile, Dr. Zarif discovered Revo-i robot, and after personally inspecting the product during a visit to South Korea, he promptly initiated the process of introducing Revo-i. As a result, Revo-i was installed in September 2022, and within less than a year, the 100th surgery was successfully performed. Now, the government is planning to introduce additional surgical robots.

Dr. Zarif explained that although Central Asia is currently performing many laparoscopic surgeries, it is now a time to transition to robotic surgery. Approximately 13 years ago, Dr. Zarif introduced laparoscopic surgery to Central Asia. Now he is leading the era of robotic surgery, deserving recognition as a pioneer.

“When laparoscopy was first introduced, there were about 100 cases per hospital in the initial year, but now thousands of cases are performed. Robotic surgery will follow a similar trajectory,” he said, anticipating that the annual Revo-i surgeries will surpass 1,000 within the next few years.

Furthermore, he said, “For wise surgeons, using a surgical robot is a matter of course,” and he expressed his hope that all surgeons in Uzbekistan would start using robotic surgery, particularly Revo-i.

Dr. Zarif states, “I strive to move in a positive direction with good equipment,” and adds, “The reason for choosing Revo-i includes the similarity between Uzbekistan’s culture and that of Korea, allowing for better mutual understanding.”

Notably, Dr. Zarif emphasized the importance of product quality. He conveyed the positive atmosphere in Uzbekistan, stating that other hospitals are also highly interested in Revo-i. He further explained that he has received considerable help from the Uzbekistan government, with both the Ministry of Health and the president showing great interest.

Additionally, Dr. Zarif expressed his commitment to continued collaboration with meerecompany for the advancement of robotic surgery. He commended meerecompany for meeting both criteria he considers essential when choosing a company: employees’ responsibility for their products and a solid distribution network.

Dr. Zarif has been actively organizing various academic events such as live surgeries and symposiums. On the 10th of this month, to commemorate the 100th Revo-i robot surgery at Shox International Hospital, he invited Professor Daniel Eun from Temple University Hospital in the United States, a renowned expert in robotic surgery, to perform live surgery and share experiences in robot surgery between the two countries. Furthermore, Dr. Zarif plans to organize various events to compare and share robotic surgery experiences, fostering mutual development, when additional installations of Revo-i take place in Uzbekistan.

Moreover, Dr. Zarif has plans to operate a robot surgery education program for Uzbekistan doctors.

“I currently have five students specializing in robotic surgery, and their skills are improving. I will open a robotic surgery training course to invite and educate another five medical professionals. This will result in a total of 10 to 11 robotic surgery experts within several months. Until now, I have been doing surgeries alone, but things will change.”

“Within the next 1-2 years, with the goal of opening a training center, I am diligently working towards obtaining over 50 surgeons specialized in robotic surgery,” said Dr. Zarif.