Page 31 - NEWSLETTER_23

F.N.: What do you think it will be the next step in the technology of robotic surgery?
P.W.: I think the next step is going to be various types of improvements in the image, so that we will be able to see the location of tumors or organs. We will also be able to see the vascularity. I think that the tumor margins are already a new subject. I haven’t used them myself, but I know that there are some compounds that will light up surgery. A lot of technological discoveries like these are going to improve surgery, surgical margins and surgical time.
T.S.: Are we far enough from performing all urological procedures in every hospital of the world with robotic systems?
P.W.: Oh, we are so far from that point, mostly because of the economic situation. When it comes to robotic surgery, we are basically still talking about Western Europe, the US and some rich places in Asia. But, for instance, Africa and South America have very few robots. There are not many robots in Brazil. A lot of surgeons can’t afford it. Even in Europe, in many countries there are very few robots. It is mostly an economical reason. When cheaper models will come, the use of robotics will increase.
T.S.: How far are we from successful telesurgery? Can you imagine yourself performing robotic surgeries from your hospital or either your house in patients to other countries?
P.W.: You know, I have a summerhouse in Karpathos, in Greece. I was thinking about having my console there, sitting in the house and operating. We are not far from that. We can do it already. The technique is there, so it’s not so complex to do it. But the question is what is your game and what is the risk. Also, if something goes wrong, you are very far away from the patients. I think for legal reasons we are relatively far from it. But technically we are already there, we can do it.
F.N.: How do you combine your career with your social life?
P.W.: That’s one of the most difficult things. It’s not so easy to do that, because you tend to work a lot. But it’s very important to try to find a balance between your work and your social life. I still live in the same area where I grew up basically. I have a lot of old friends there. I think you should try to stay real and have your background. This is important to find a good balance between your social life and your working life. But it’s difficult. If you like your job, you tend to work a lot, as you already know, I guess.
T.S.: You have trained many Greek young urologists, including Vasilis Mygdalis, Stavros Tyritzis, Achilleas Ploumidis, Vangelis Fragkiadis and many others. Could you please tell us a few words for your Greek students.
P.W.: Our first fellow was also from Greece, Stavros Vourekas. He was the first robotic fellow in Karolinska. We were very happy with our Greek fellows, both on personal level and on professional level. I am really happy to see that many of them have been able to start a very nice career and I am sure that most of them are doing very well.
T.S.: You have visited Greece many times. Which are the things that you love most in Greece? And also, why did you choose Karpathos?
P.W.: Mostly I like people in Greece. They are very friendly. I mean extremely friendly, in a special way. If you go for dinner with someone from Greece, it’s almost impossible to pay for dinner. It doesn’t matter what you do, they are paying. That’s like a mentality. People in Greece are really nice and I think this is the most important. Also, I like all the beautiful islands. I visited Karpathos mostly by chance. Emmanouil Panagiotou was one of my first students, when he was starting his robotic program. He invited me to Karpathos and I went there with my kids. We fell in love immediately with a specific, very beautiful place in the island. It’s like visiting the “real Greece” there.
Tεύχος 23 | Μάϊος-Ιούνιος 2023
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