The milestone was reached last week, with procedures now being carried out across several areas including urology, general surgery and obesity surgery.

Robotic surgery began at Faro Hospital in November 2025, making the speed at which the first 100 procedures have been reached particularly significant for the team.

For patients, the technology can mean a less invasive operation, a shorter stay in hospital and an easier recovery.

Miguel Cabrita, coordinator of robotic surgery at ULS Algarve, said the milestone represents 100 patients who have already benefited from the technology and techniques.

He said the results can be seen in patients’ recovery, their quality of life after surgery and the amount of time they need to spend in hospital.

€4.17 million investment

The arrival of robotic surgery in Faro is part of a wider investment in bringing the technology to Algarve hospitals.

The Da Vinci Xi robotic systems installed in Faro and Portimão represented a combined investment of €4.17 million, funded through Portugal’s Recovery and Resilience Plan.

Despite the name, the robot doesn’t carry out an operation by itself.

The surgeon remains in control throughout the procedure, operating from a console which translates their hand movements into extremely precise movements by the robotic instruments.

The system also provides a magnified three-dimensional view of the surgical area, allowing doctors to work through much smaller incisions than may be required in conventional open surgery.

That can bring advantages including less trauma to surrounding tissue, reduced pain after an operation and a faster return to normal life.

Robotic surgery growing across the Algarve

Faro isn’t the only Algarve hospital to reach the 100 mark.

Hospital do Barlavento Algarvio in Portimão introduced robotic surgery in April 2025, becoming the first hospital in the region to use the technology.

It completed its 100th robotic procedure in June this year.

At Portimão, those first 100 operations included prostatectomies and several types of colorectal and abdominal surgery.

With Faro now passing the same milestone, robotic surgery is becoming an increasingly established part of surgical care at both of the Algarve’s main public hospitals.

ULS Algarve says the programme is intended not simply to introduce new equipment, but to increase the level of specialised surgical care available to patients without requiring them to leave the region.

The health authority also credited the doctors, nurses and operational assistants involved in Faro’s programme for getting it to its first 100 procedures.

Less than a year after the first robotic operation took place there, the technology is no longer quite so new to Faro.

For at least 100 Algarve patients, it has already been part of their treatment.

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