From July 16–20, 2025, the prestigious SRS 2025 (Society of Robotic Surgery) international congress was held in Strasbourg, France, bringing together more than 3,500 delegates from around the globe.
Among them were representatives from Medical University – Pleven:
Acad. Grigor Gorchev, MD – Director of the Telecommunication Center
Prof. Dobromir Dimitrov, MD – Rector of MU-Pleven
Assoc. Prof. Zornitsa Gorcheva, MD – Vice Rector for International and Project Activities
Assoc. Prof. Martin Karamanliev, MD – Head of the Center of Competence
The Bulgarian team contributed with two presentations in sessions focused on medical education and the digital operating room, highlighting Bulgaria’s growing role in the advancement of high-tech surgery.
Their participation was supported by the European Union – NextGenerationEU, under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan of the Republic of Bulgaria, Project No. BG-RRP-2.004-0003.
Key topics of the congress included:
Development of the digital OR
Integration of Artificial Intelligence in surgery
Advancements in telesurgery
Showcasing over 50 robotic systems from leading manufacturers
Particularly impressive were the live remote surgeries, during which surgeons in Strasbourg operated on patients located in the USA, Africa, and Asia — in real time.
Prof. Dobromir Dimitrov shared:
“The participation of Bulgarian specialists in SRS 2025 is a clear sign of our country's growing presence in the international community of innovative surgery. It highlights our commitment to adopting cutting-edge technologies and setting high standards in training the next generation of surgeons.”
