On May 26, Manila, Philippines — Following the commercial installation of Edge Medical®'s independently developed multi-port surgical robot at Cardinal Santos Medical Center (CSMC), one of the Philippines' premier private healthcare institutions, a formal system launch ceremony was held to mark its official activation.

This marks not only the first surgical robot ever introduced at CSMC, but also the first Edge Medical® system to officially land in the Philippines. Following installation, the robot was immediately put into active clinical use — successfully completing an inaugural series of 19 procedures spanning multiple surgical indications in general surgery.Leveraging the dual-console system, the team simultaneously conducted in-person and online training, achieving a rapid and seamless transition from conventional laparoscopic surgery to intelligent robot-assisted procedures.

The First Surgical Robot Officially Activated

CSMC Enters a New Era of Robotic Surgery

On May 26, a landmark activation ceremony was held at CSMC. As the first surgical robot in the hospital's history, this milestone formally ushers one of the Philippines' top private medical institutions into the era of robotic surgery.

In his remarks, Dr. Antonio S. Say, Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of CSMC, noted that introducing the hospital's first surgical robot represents a pivotal milestone in its journey toward advanced minimally invasive surgery — one that will not only strengthen CSMC's competitive capabilities in robotic surgery, but deliver more precise and safer treatment options to its patients.

The inaugural procedures were led by Dr. Alfred Allen Buenafe, a distinguished Philippine minimally invasive surgery specialist. Dr. Buenafe shared the clinical insights and hands-on experience gained by his team throughout the first series of cases, highlighting — with real-world examples — the significant advantages the robot delivers in precision, minimally invasive outcomes, and patient recovery.

At the ceremony, Edge Medical® reaffirmed its commitment to deepening its presence in Southeast Asia — empowering more medical institutions through high-quality products and dedicated clinical support. Distribution partner IDS Medical Systems presented on global trends in surgical robotics, noting that robot-assisted surgery is rapidly becoming the new standard of minimally invasive care.

CSMC President and CEO Raul C. Pagdanganan reflected on the hospital's journey to acquiring its first surgical robot and expressed his anticipation of a deepening collaboration with Edge Medical® in robotic surgery going forward.

19 Procedures. Dual-Console Teaching

A Seamless Leap from Conventional Laparoscopy to Robotic Surgery

The lead surgeon for the inaugural series, Dr. Buenafe, currently serves as Director of the Institute of Surgery and Minimally Invasive Surgery at CSMC, Executive Director of the Philippine Center for Advanced Surgery (PCAS), and President of the Endoscopic and Laparoscopic Surgeons of Asia (ELSA). With nearly 30 years of experience in minimally invasive surgery and a distinguished record as an invited speaker at major international academic conferences, Dr. Buenafe is one of the most influential authorities in minimally invasive surgery across Asia.

Under Dr. Buenafe's leadership, the team used the Edge Medical® multi-port robot to complete 19 procedures across multiple surgical categories, including cholecystectomy, inguinal hernia repair, hepatic segmentectomy, hiatal hernia repair with fundoplication, low anterior resection of the rectum, and combined linea alba hernia with umbilical hernia repair — all completed without complication.

Particularly noteworthy was the distinctive value demonstrated by the Edge Medical® dual-console design throughout this clinical series. Using the dual-console system, the team delivered live and online mentorship to multiple surgeons simultaneously — enabling real-time intraoperative guidance, step-by-step demonstration, and takeover of critical operative stages. Experts specifically noted that this design is exceptionally well-suited for robotic surgical education, and carries significant demonstration value for training early-career surgeons and accelerating the broader adoption of robotic surgery.

Dr. Buenafe and his team expressed high praise for the clinical performance of the Edge Medical® multi-port robot. On imaging, surgeons commended the system's exceptionally clear and stable visualization, superior color fidelity and depth perception, and greater visual comfort during prolonged procedures. In particular, during complex and demanding operations such as hepatic segmentectomy and low anterior rectal resection, tissue planes, vascular borders, and deep pelvic structures were rendered with exceptional clarity — significantly enhancing anatomical recognition and operative confidence.

On instrument control, surgeons expressed strong endorsement of the system's fluid responsiveness — noting that the robotic arms respond with precision and natural motion continuity, delivering excellent stability during suturing, dissection, and tight-space maneuvers, and providing an overall operative experience that aligns intuitively with surgical ergonomics.

"System + Training" as Continuous Enablement

Building a Robotic Surgery Training Center in the Philippines

Cardinal Santos Medical Center is located in San Juan City, in the Metro Manila region of the Philippines. It is recognized for excellence in cardiology, oncology, neurosurgery, gastroenterology, and rehabilitation medicine, and also brings broad clinical expertise in pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, urology, and minimally invasive surgery — one of the flagship institutions of the Philippine premium private healthcare system.

Following the activation of the Edge Medical® robotic system, CSMC will leverage its PCAS platform to establish a dedicated robotic surgery training center, providing training and learning opportunities for a wider community of local surgeons. At the in-person and online exchange forum held during the ceremony, this initiative generated enthusiastic response — with strong interest and anticipation expressed by many physicians for the PCAS robotic surgery training programs to be opened to a broader audience.

Edge Medical® will continue to advance clinical training, technical support, and academic collaboration across the Philippines and the broader Southeast Asian market — empowering more surgeons to master robotic surgical techniques, and bringing the benefits of China's homegrown innovation to a wider global community.

 Conclusion

As CSMC stated on its official social media platform: every patient deserves not only smarter technology, but compassionate, human-centered care. With the official activation of the Edge Medical® surgical robot, CSMC is now bringing precision, innovation, and world-class surgical care to more people across the Philippines — closing the gap in access to advanced surgical resources, and expanding the reach of cutting-edge surgical procedures. Together, we are building a healthier future worth looking forward to.