CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Please replace the release dated September 30, 2013 with the following corrected version due to multiple revisions.

The corrected release reads:

CRSA COMMITTED TO ADVANCING SURGEON TRAINING IN ROBOTIC SURGERY

In an effort to further integrate robotic technology into the current surgical armamentarium for surgeons and maintain best patient outcomes, the Clinical Robotic Surgery Association (CRSA) announced today its plans to provide real and clinical insight into the safety and efficacy of robotic surgery during its 5^th Worldwide Congress. Over the past decade more than 1.5 million robotic surgeries have been performed worldwide using Intuitive Surgical's da Vinci systems. This technology has dramatically improved the utilization of minimally invasive surgery across several fields including urology, gynecology, thoracic, cardiac, colon, pancreas and transplant surgery.

“As robotic surgery continues to evolve, it is important that we also encourage continuous quality improvement in clinical programs,” said Dr. Laurent Bresler, president of CRSA. “And part of our mission is to work with clinicians and their societies to enhance training and education of surgeons on the application of robotic technologies in a broad set of surgical procedures.”

“Robotic technology has a proven and promising role in surgery,” said Dr. Pier Giulianotti, Chief of the University of Illinois Medical Center's Division of General, Minimally Invasive and Robotic Surgery, and past president of CRSA. “Well trained robotic surgeons continue to achieve excellent clinical outcomes with this innovative platform, and it is important that we keep advancing – ourselves and the technology.”

During the meeting, the association plans to create surgeon training and credentialing guidelines for robotic surgery to help surgeons go through a clinically-justified training protocol and complete their learning curve in a standardized regimen. Additionally, CRSA intends to create an online CRSA Robotic Surgery Patient Portal that will enable patients to connect with proficient surgeons in the field to ask questions about robotic surgery.

“In the hands of well-trained robotic surgeons, this method of surgery proved to be safe, effective and offers excellent outcomes as published in thousands of peer-reviewed scientific studies. Our upcoming meeting is set to be a proper clinical forum to highlight our members’ surgical outcomes in a scientific and comparative manner,” said Dr. Joseph Colella, executive member of CRSA.

The 5th Worldwide Congress of the CRSA is being held on October 3-5, 2013 at the Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. Featuring a faculty of more than 150 experts in clinical, research and education on robotic surgery from leading academic centers from around the world. CRSA invites surgeons and healthcare policy makers to attend this meeting for more scientific information on robotic surgery.

About Clinical Robotic Surgery Association

The CRSA is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit association registered in Illinois, United States that is focused on providing education for robotic surgeons. The association has over 400 members from around the world, and is formed by thought leaders in the field. For more information visit www.clinicalrobotics.com.