The robotic surgery program at UROINTEC, led by Dr. Pablo Juárez del Dago, has performed 220 procedures in its first three years, consolidating the Canary Islands as an international leader in urological robotic surgery.
San Roque University Hospitals and UROINTEC have consolidated their leadership in robotic surgery three years after the incorporation of the Hugo™ RAS system into the group's urological surgery program. Since its implementation, the team led by Dr. Pablo Juárez del Dago, Director of the Urology Department at San Roque University Hospitals, has performed 220 robotic procedures , making it the first urological robotic surgery program developed in the Canary Islands.
The majority of procedures are for the treatment of prostate cancer. Specifically, of the 220 interventions, 163 are radical prostatectomies , representing 74,1% of all activity . This means that three out of every four robotic surgery procedures are for the treatment of prostate cancer. The same team also performs other complex procedures, such as cystectomies with bladder reconstruction using a neobladder for bladder cancer, partial and radical nephrectomies for kidney cancer, and, to a lesser extent, reconstructive surgeries of the urinary tract.
Preserving continence and male sexual function
Beyond surgical volume, one of the program's main quality indicators is its functional outcomes. Among patients undergoing robotic radical prostatectomy, over 95% maintained urinary continence and 76,2% maintained sexual potency one year after the procedure — two parameters that have a direct impact on these patients' quality of life. The program, developed at San Roque University Hospitals by UROINTEC, has benefited from the collaboration of international experts since its inception, such as Dr. Richard Gaston , a pioneer in robotic urological surgery, and Dr. Alberto Breda , president of the Robotic Surgery Section (ERUS) of the European Association of Urology, helping to position the Canary Islands among the leading centers for robotic urological surgery.
Training of new generations of specialists
In addition to its clinical work, UROINTEC has become an international training center for robotic surgery. Thanks to the Touch Surgery™ Live program , procedures performed in the operating rooms of San Roque University Hospitals are broadcast live to specialists worldwide. In 2026 alone, 167 urologists from 36 countries participated in these training sessions.
According to Dr. Pablo Juárez del Dago , director of Clínica GUA and UROINTEC, "these three years have meant the consolidation of a surgical program based on clinical excellence, experience, and continuous training. Our goal is to offer patients in the Canary Islands top-level surgery without them having to travel outside the islands and, at the same time, to make the Canary Islands an international benchmark in robotic surgery and specialized training."
According to Dr. Richard Gaston , a French urologist and international expert in robotic urological surgery, “ I am very proud to have contributed to the development of robotic urological surgery in the Canary Islands over the past three years. Today, this program has reached a level of excellence thanks to the collaborative work of a highly committed team. Most importantly, patients can access top-level medical care in their own islands. The future now lies in telesurgery, which will allow us to continue bringing the expertise of leading international specialists to the Canary Islands .”
According to Dr. Herminia Rodríguez , Vice President of San Roque University Hospitals, "Our healthcare group maintains a firm commitment to technological innovation as a driving force for transforming the healthcare model in the Canary Islands. Incorporating increasingly advanced tools allows us to offer safer procedures to patients and provide our professionals with more precise, efficient work environments geared towards clinical excellence."
