Editor’s Note: With the rapid advancement of modern medical technology, urologic surgery has undergone a series of transformative changes. From traditional open surgery to minimally invasive approaches, and now to the widely acclaimed era of robotic surgery, these technological innovations have not only provided patients with safer and more efficient treatment options but have also markedly improved postoperative quality of life.
During the 2025 Pujiang Urologic Oncology Academic Conference, Urology Frontier conducted an exclusive interview with Professor Liqun Zhou, Chair of the Minimally Invasive Urologic Oncology Surgery Session and Professor at Peking University First Hospital. In this interview, Professor Zhou offered an in-depth discussion on the implementation pathways for the standardized promotion of minimally invasive urologic oncology surgery and shared his insights into the future prospects of cutting-edge technologies such as telesurgery and single-port robotic surgery, providing important guidance for the规范化 and innovative development of minimally invasive techniques in urologic oncology.
01 | Oncology Frontier: In recent years, urologic oncologic surgery has made significant progress, transitioning from open surgery to minimally invasive approaches. Could you share your experience in promoting the standardization and proceduralization of minimally invasive surgery?
Professor Liqun Zhou: This is indeed a highly complex issue. The evolution from open surgery to laparoscopic surgery and, more recently, to robotic surgery has followed a gradual trajectory—from early exploration to progressive maturation. Throughout this process, large tertiary hospitals and medical centers in first-tier cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou have typically been the earliest adopters, with smoother implementation of these new technologies.
Given China’s vast geographic expanse, large population, and extensive number of medical institutions, how to achieve the standardized and safe dissemination of minimally invasive techniques has become a critical challenge.
Efforts in this regard must be carried out at multiple levels. First, professional organizations such as the Chinese Urological Association (CUA), the Chinese Urologists Association of the Chinese Medical Doctor Association (CUDA), and the Chinese Anti-Cancer Association (CACA) play a pivotal role by organizing experts to develop clinical guidelines and consensus statements and promoting them nationwide. Educational initiatives centered on these guidelines are essential for the standardized adoption of new technologies, including robotic surgery—this represents the work at the level of expert consensus.
Second, academic conferences organized by professional societies—such as the 2025 Pujiang Urologic Oncology Academic Conference—provide platforms featuring live surgical demonstrations, discussions on pharmacotherapy, immunotherapy, and chemotherapy, as well as presentations of new clinical research findings. These activities are instrumental in advancing the standardization of emerging techniques through academic exchange.
In addition, training programs and hands-on workshops play a crucial role. Professional societies regularly organize training courses in robotic and laparoscopic surgery, often incorporating live surgical broadcasts during annual meetings. All of these efforts contribute to the standardized promotion of new technologies. Of course, this is not an overnight process. The adoption of new techniques tends to mature more rapidly in large and medium-sized tertiary hospitals, largely because higher patient volumes allow surgeons to gain experience more efficiently. The reason why institutions in major cities and large tertiary hospitals advance more quickly is closely related to this “practice makes perfect” principle.
In summary, from the formulation of guidelines and consensus by professional societies, to dissemination through national and regional conferences, and finally to training programs at various levels—from national to provincial to institutional—standardization is being promoted across the board. I firmly believe that whether it is the transition from open surgery to laparoscopy, or the application of newer technologies such as robotics and single-port systems, all will follow a continuous process of dissemination and standardization.
02 | Oncology Frontier: Looking ahead 5 to 10 years, what do you see as the next major breakthrough direction in minimally invasive surgery for urologic tumors?
Professor Liqun Zhou: At present, we have already completed the transition from minimally invasive surgery to the robotic era. In my view, the most prominent developments over the next several years will focus on two key areas.
The first is telesurgery, or remote surgery. In this field, Chinese surgeons are already at the forefront globally. Telesurgery allows surgeons to operate on patients located in distant regions—for example, performing surgery in Sanya while the surgeon is physically based in Beijing—bridging distances of hundreds or even thousands of kilometers. Similar to the landmark cases performed by Academician Zhang Xu, who operated robotic systems in China from overseas, telesurgery is poised for rapid growth.
China’s leadership in this area stems in part from the fact that the Da Vinci robotic system does not support open remote surgical interfaces due to inherent system limitations. In contrast, domestically developed robotic platforms have fully enabled remote surgical capabilities, allowing for smooth and stable operations. This truly fulfills the vision of “patients travel less, and doctors travel less,” and will greatly accelerate the broader adoption of robotic surgery.
The second major direction is technological innovation represented by single-port robotic surgery. The transition from multi-port to single-port laparoscopy has undergone several cycles of development. Single-port laparoscopy once peaked but later declined, largely because it failed to demonstrate clear advantages. However, single-port robotic surgery is fundamentally different from single-port laparoscopy, representing a truly revolutionary change.
I believe single-port robotic surgery will become another important area of development. While the shift from multi-port to single-port surgery is not an absolute pursuit, for selected patients it offers clear benefits in terms of cosmetic outcomes and potentially other advantages. The surgical experience of performing single-port procedures with robotic systems is entirely different from that of laparoscopic single-port surgery. For this reason, I am confident that robotic single-port technology has significant room for future growth.
Professor Liqun Zhou Peking University First Hospital
