The SCC had the da Vinci surgical robot system installed in December, 2011, as one of the first hospitals in Japan, and has been promoting the use of it for less invasiveness, safety, and performance for functional preservation and complete cure. So far 2,600 surgeries, which counts one of the biggest numbers in Japan, have been performed with the system at the Divisions of Colon and Rectal Surgery, Gastric Surgery, Thoracic Surgery, Urology, and Gynecology. In addition, the SCC has been designated as one of a few training institutions for doctors who wish to observe colon and rectal surgeries or gastric surgeries performed on the system. As it is expected to have the increase of patients wishing to have their surgeries done with the system in the future, the SCC has extended the application of it to Division of Esophageal Surgery, and installed another one to make it 3 which has made the SCC the first hospital having that many systems in Shizuoka prefecture. The surgical robot system has some issues to be cleared, including the high cost and the difficulty in training the surgeons. Yet, the merit is tremendous as it can overcome the deficiency of laparoscopic or thoracoscopic surgeries. It is becoming rapidly popular, because the procedure with the system is safer, more advanced, and much less invasive than the conventional ones.
