Tunisia is preparing to take a new step in the medical field with the imminent launch of pilot experiments in robotic surgery. These operations, which will concern several specialties including thoracic surgery, will be carried out at the Charles-Nicolle University Hospital in Tunis, recently equipped with a latest generation surgical robot.
Towards a first lung transplant in Tunisia
The president of the Tunisian Association of Thoracic Surgery, Abdesslem Hentati, announced, during the second day of the Pan-Arab Congress of Thoracic Surgery which is being held in Tunis from November 6 to 9, that Tunisian teams are also preparing for a historic lung transplant operation. This should take place at the Habib-Bourguiba University Hospital in Sfax by the end of the year or early 2026.
A national program for robotic surgery
The Director General of Health, Walid Naija, has confirmed that the Ministry of Health is working to establish a national robotic surgery program, aimed at modernizing surgical practices and strengthening the training of medical teams.
Two new thoracic surgery departments are being created: one at the Charles-Nicolle hospital, the other at the Habib-Bourguiba hospital in Sfax.
Naija recalled that Tunisia is one of the first Arab countries to have developed thoracic surgery, a discipline introduced in 1951. He also paid tribute to Habiba Jilani, the first Arab woman to specialize in this field, symbol of the pioneering role of Tunisian women in medicine.
This congress brings together more than 300 doctors and researchers from 18 Arab countries and 9 countries in Europe, Asia and America. The work notably highlights the contribution of artificial intelligence to the early detection of lung cancer, remote post-operative monitoring and home care solutions.
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