Robot-Assisted Surgeries Surge in St. Petersburg as AI Pushes Healthcare Forward
A growing number of high-tech procedures in Russia’s northern capital signals a broader trend toward digitalization and AI-driven medicine.
Over the past five years, the number of robot-assisted surgeries in St. Petersburg has doubled, according to city officials who summarized healthcare developments for the first half of 2025, as reported by Delovoy Peterburg.
Governor Alexander Beglov stated that 2,000 more patients received high-tech medical care in the first half of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024, bringing the total to 77,268 individuals. Much of the progress has been made in fields directly linked to reducing mortality rates.
In 2024, under the 'Health of Petersburg Residents' initiative, doctors began using an innovative treatment—implantation of a centrifugal, non-axial circulatory support system for patients with severe heart failure. The method has already shown measurable success in saving lives.
Transplant programs are also advancing. The Mariinsky Hospital performed its first adult heart transplant, while the city’s Pediatric Specialized Center completed two kidney transplants.
The rising number of robotic surgeries reflects a nationwide shift toward digital medicine. By 2030, Russia expects the use of AI in healthcare to grow by a factor of 9.5, with the medtech market expanding from 12 billion to 78 billion rubles.
