Robotic surgery in Poland is growing rapidly and systematically. The latest overview draws on data for 2023 and on qualified estimates for 2024: robots are already in every voivodeship and have become the dominant method for prostatectomy. Changes in reimbursements by the national payer and an emphasis on centralizing procedures have played a decisive role.
Hospital network and the spread of robots
Poland has approximately 38 million inhabitants, around 600 public and 300 private hospitals. As of April 1, a National Oncology Network with 271 facilities is being established, with the difference between "public" and "private" referring to ownership, not patient payment: if a private hospital has a contract with the national payer, the procedure is free of charge for the patient. About 80 hospitals use surgical robots, 15 of them private; orthopedic and neurosurgical robots are less widespread for now.
The technology mix is led by the da Vinci system (about 65 hospitals), complemented by Versius (17 hospitals) and Hugo (2 hospitals); the Senhance system was taken out of service at the beginning of 2024 after a malfunction. There is also one da Vinci single-port and one Sani microscopic system in operation. Around ten hospitals have more than one robot, one even has three, and every voivodeship already has at least one site with a robot – the leader is not the centrally located Mazovské, but the north of the country.
What is being operated on: urology dominates
As much as 73 % of robotic procedures are urology, and of those 69 % are robot-assisted radical prostatectomies. Other urological procedures include approximately 3 % (partial) nephrectomies and about 1 % cystectomies. Gynecology accounts for roughly 12 % (mainly hysterectomies) and gastroenterology – mainly colorectal procedures – about 9 %. Oncological indications make up approximately 98 % of all robotic surgeries.
Robotics is gradually entering pediatrics as well: three hospitals operate on children (two with the da Vinci system, one with Versius). Since 2023, robotic technique has become the dominant method for prostatectomy over laparoscopy and open surgery. In 2023 about 7 000 robotic prostatectomies were performed, in 2024 approximately 10 000, so roughly three quarters of all prostatectomies in the country are now performed robotically. A condition for increased reimbursements is at least 100 procedures per year per site, which supports centralization and volume growth.
Money changes practice: reimbursements, market, and efficiency
A turning point came in February 2022, when the national payer set a higher reimbursement for robotic prostatectomy than for laparoscopy or open surgery – in practice roughly double. In 2023 the preferential reimbursements were extended to colorectal procedures and gynecological hysterectomies, always with a requirement for a minimum annual number of operations. In 2024 the average reimbursement for a robotic prostatectomy was around 33 000 PLN (approximately 8 000 euros), while the laparoscopic alternative was around 5 000 euros. The significant increase in public payments reduced the need for self-pay patients: the share of commercially paid robotic prostatectomies fell from roughly 85 % in the past to about 3 % in 2024.
System operating efficiency is also growing rapidly. In 2024 at least seven hospitals exceeded the threshold of 400 robotic procedures per year on a single system; the new national record is 465 procedures on a single robot. The previous maximum of 423 was achieved in 2019 by one surgeon in a private hospital. Milestones also include the first robot in 2010, the first competing Versius system in 2021, and the launch of the Hugo system in December 2024 – together they create an environment of real competition, capacity growth, and improved availability.
