Robotic surgery outside major Brazilian capitals is operated primarily by male surgeons over 31 with high household incomes, according to a Cureus cross-sectional study published on Friday mapping inland São Paulo State.
The study characterized 20 credentialed surgeons performing robotic procedures outside the capital. Researchers found that every participant entered robotic practice through general surgery or an equivalent basic surgical area training.
- What was studied: Researchers looked at the background, training, and practice settings of 20 surgeons performing robotic operations in inland São Paulo State.
- Why it matters: As advanced surgical platforms expand beyond major cities, understanding who operates them helps shape medical residency programs and public health planning.
- Key findings: The workforce is entirely rooted in general surgery training, dominated by digestive tract specialists, and evenly split between private insurance and public healthcare systems.
Seventeen participants, or 85.0%, were men, and their ages were evenly divided between the 31-40 bracket and those over 40. Fifteen surgeons, or 75.0%, reported being married, while 85.0% earned above BRL 30,000 monthly.
Digestive tract specialties accounted for 14 participants, representing 70.0% of the cohort. Specifically, 12 practiced digestive system surgery and two specialized in coloproctology.
| Characteristic | Participant Count (N = 20) | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Male Gender | 17 | 85.0% |
| Ages 31–40 / Over 40 | 10 each | 50.0% each |
| Digestive Tract Specialties | 14 | 70.0% |
| Supplementary Practice Setting | 11 | 55.0% |
All participants achieved credentialing under Resolution 2,311/2022 of the Brazilian Federal Council of Medicine. Eleven surgeons practiced in the supplementary private insurance sector, while nine worked within the Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS).
Eleven participants graduated from public undergraduate institutions, and 16 completed traditional medical curricula. Five surgeons held master’s or doctoral degrees, and parental education was notably high across the cohort.
The study was coordinated at Hospital de Base of São José do Rio Preto, affiliated with the Faculdade de Medicina de São José do Rio Preto. Because participant recruitment relied on institutional networks rather than a closed register, authors said that response rates could not be calculated and association analyses remained exploratory.
- Guiu RJ, Dias GC, Silva PH, et al. Profile of Robotic Surgeons in Inland São Paulo State, Brazil: A Cross-Sectional Study of a Surgical Workforce Trained in General Surgery. Cureus. 2026;18(11):e119631.
- Silva PAR, Pagnano RG, Pereira Filho MV, et al. Percutaneous surgery practice in Brazil: the profile of Brazilian foot surgeons. J Foot Ankle. 2020;14(2):163-167.
