Pham Duc Minh, MD, MSc, Specialist Level I: A robotic surgery expert helping preserve men’s quality of life

For prostate cancer patients, the anxiety extends beyond life-and-death concerns to the risk of reduced sexual function following surgery. At FV Hospital, Pham Duc Minh, MD, MSc, Specialist Level I, a robotic surgery expert with more than 10 years of experience, offers new hope by removing tumours while preserving patients’ quality of life wherever possible.

A surgeon of the robotic surgery era

As a prime representative of the modern generation of surgeons, Pham Duc Minh, MD, MSc, Specialist Level I, received formal training in a high-tech environment from the very start of his career. He completed his Master’s degree in Surgery at the University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ho Chi Minh City, and underwent fellowship training in the US, South Korea and Taiwan (China), all recognised leaders in robotic surgery.

Currently, Dr Minh serves as a senior attending physician in the Urology Department at Cho Ray Hospital and a lecturer at the University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ho Chi Minh City. Since 2026, he has been a member of the FV da Vinci Robotic Surgery Centre at FV Hospital, home to a “standardised medical ecosystem” that maximizes the value of robotic surgery technology in complex cases.

Pham Duc Minh, MD, MSc, Specialist Level I beside the da Vinci Xi robotic surgical console at FV Hospital.

Unlike many surgeons who follow a traditional path (open surgery, laparoscopy, then robotics), Dr Minh was exposed to robotic surgery right from the start. This helped him develop precise spatial awareness, delicate surgical skills, and exceptional control over the technology.

“During my fellowship abroad, I performed many complex robotic surgeries,” Dr Minh shares. “When I returned to Vietnam, transitioning to open or laparoscopic surgery was seamless.”

Beyond his clinical practice, Dr Minh actively contributes to developing postgraduate training programmes, introducing robotic surgery into teaching to prepare the next generation of doctors.

Robotic prostate cancer surgery – “The gold standard” at FV

Prostate cancer presents one of the greatest challenges in urological surgery. The prostate lies deep within the pelvis, surrounded by a vital network of blood vessels and nerves responsible for urinary control and erectile function. Consequently, the surgery demands near-absolute precision.

Traditional methods present clear limitations:

• Open surgery: Limited visibility and a higher risk of tissue damage.
• Laparoscopic surgery: 2D imagery lacking depth perception, with instruments that are difficult to manoeuvre in tight spaces.

The da Vinci Xi robotic system at FV helps overcome these challenges by providing:

• Sharp, magnified 3D imagery.
• Robotic arms with 540-degree rotation, offering greater flexibility than human hands.
• Automatic tremor filtering to ensure maximum precision.
• The ability to preserve neurovascular bundles, reducing the risk of erectile dysfunction and urinary incontinence.

“Robotic surgery provides a more efficient path to achieving optimal outcomes,” notes Dr Minh. “In many developed countries, robotic surgery has become the standard of care for prostate cancer.”

In addition to preserving male vitality, robotic surgery helps patients experience less pain, recover faster, and return home within one to two days after surgery.

An international-standard robotic surgery centre in Vietnam

Robotic surgery is becoming an essential trend in modern medicine. Featuring the latest-generation da Vinci Xi system and accredited by Joint Commission International (JCI), one of the world’s leading healthcare accreditation organisations from the US, FV Hospital is one of the pioneers bringing this technique into routine clinical practice in Vietnam.

A robotic surgery procedure at FV Hospital.

According to Dr Minh, operating robotic surgery effectively requires not just technology, but also strict quality control procedures, well-trained surgical teams, and seamless multidisciplinary collaboration.

At FV, robotic surgery is applied not only in urology but also expanded to gastroenterology, gynaecology, and thoracic surgery. This allows Vietnamese patients to access advanced techniques locally rather than having to travel abroad as they did in the past.

With an internationally trained expert team and systematic investment in robotic technology, FV is helping advance a new era of surgery, where success is measured not only by curing disease, but also by preserving the patient’s quality of life.