A medical team at Charles Nicolle University Hospital in Tunis successfully performed the first robotic surgery in Tunisia on Tuesday, November 11, 2025. The procedure, which lasted 45 minutes, involved a robot-assisted gallbladder removal for a 38-year-old patient and was conducted by the hospital’s “Surgery B” department in its newly established robotic operating room.
Dr. Ramzi Nouira, head of the General Surgery Department, described robotic surgery as “the surgery of the future”, noting its precision, minimal bleeding, and faster recovery times.
The robot, acquired from South Korea under a cooperation agreement, is mainly used for laparoscopic-type procedures such as colon and liver resections. A Tunisian team trained in South Korea, while a Korean team assisted with installation and training in Tunis. Dr. Nouira stressed that “the human controls the robot from start to finish,” emphasizing that it enhances rather than replaces medical expertise.
