GLOBAL LEADING ASIA-PACIFIC #1 SNQ CERTIFIED Taipei Veterans General Hospital

Minimally Invasive Pancreatic Surgery
with Heavy-Ion Therapy

Therapeutic and Research Center of Pancreas Cancer · Taiwan's breakthrough in robotic surgery and carbon-ion radiotherapy — transforming unresectable pancreatic cancer into curable disease.

36.9%
5-year survival rate
+27–32 pts vs. conventional
98.7%
Surgical success rate
Mortality reduced to 1.3%
750+
Robotic procedures
da Vinci system
99%
Patient satisfaction
Validated across all cases
The problem — and how Taiwan solved it
THE PROBLEM
80% of patients diagnosed at Stage III–IV
No early symptoms. By the time it's found, surgery is often already impossible — global 5-year survival: 5–10%.
5% mortality. 500 cc blood loss. 35-day recovery.
Pancreas sits deep near major vessels — traditional open surgery is brutal, with 6–8 hr operations and high complication rates.
1 in 3 patients: inoperable at diagnosis
Locally advanced tumors deemed unresectable — no surgery, no cure. Medicine had no answer for these patients.
HOW TVGH SOLVED IT
5–10% → 36.9% five-year survival. Nearly 4×.
Robotic surgery + integrated heavy-ion therapy transforms prognosis — pancreatic cancer is now a manageable disease.
Mortality 5% → 1.3%. Blood loss −70%. Discharge in 6 days.
Da Vinci robotic system — 3–4 cm incision, under 4 hrs operative time. Safe even for elderly and high-risk patients.
Unresectable tumors → curative surgery. 0 options → 1.
Carbon-ion radiotherapy downstages previously inoperable tumors. Asia's first adopter. Now contributing to international guidelines.
Two clinical breakthroughs
Robotic pancreaticoduodenectomy
DA VINCI SURGICAL SYSTEM
Enhanced magnification, superior visualization, and precise robotic control drastically reduce wound size, blood loss, and operative time. Applicable even to elderly and high-risk patients — breaking traditional access barriers for the most complex pancreatic procedure.
750+
Procedures performed
98.7%
Success rate
99%
Satisfaction
1.3%
Mortality rate
Chemo + carbon-ion radiotherapy
HEAVY-ION THERAPY PIONEER
For locally advanced, initially unresectable pancreatic cancer — chemotherapy combined with heavy-ion (carbon-ion) radiotherapy downstages tumors to enable curative resection. Breaks the long-held barrier that "unresectable disease has no solution," opening a pathway where none existed before.
Pioneer
Asia first adopter
Guideline
Intl consensus contributor
Textbook
Chapter author
5-year survival rate — how far ahead is TVGH?
UNRESECTABLE · NO TREATMENT
2–5%
No curative pathway
CONVENTIONAL SURGERY
5–10%
Global average
TVGH ROBOTIC + HEAVY-ION
36.9%
Nearly 4× the global average
Clinical outcomes vs. conventional open surgery
Indicator
Performance comparison
Value
Advantage
5-year survival rate
TVGH
Conv.
36.9%
5–10%
+27–32 pts
Surgical mortality
TVGH
Conv.
1.3%
5.0%
74% lower
Operative time
TVGH
Conv.
<4 hrs
6–8 hrs
50% shorter
Blood loss
TVGH
Conv.
150 cc
500 cc
70% less
Hospital stay
TVGH
Conv.
6 days
~35 days
~1 month shorter
Incision size
TVGH
Conv.
3–4 cm
~30 cm
1/10 size
Delayed gastric emptying
TVGH
Conv.
1.5%
16.9%
91% lower
5-year survival rate — Taiwan vs. global benchmark
TVGH Robotic + Heavy-Ion
Conventional surgery (global avg)
Unresectable (no treatment)
International academic impact
138papers
Published on pancreatic & pancreaticoduodenectomy surgery
30papers
On robotic minimally invasive pancreatic surgery
132+talks
Presentations at national & international conferences
45fellows
International surgical fellows trained at TVGH
Benefits & global impact
Improved survival outcomes
5-year survival rate raised from 5–10% to 36.9% — a transformative outcome for one of the deadliest cancers globally.
Breakthrough for advanced cases
Carbon-ion therapy enables curative surgery for patients previously deemed unresectable, opening new hope where no treatment options existed.
Faster recovery, better quality of life
Patients discharged in 6 days vs. ~35 days — minimizing disruption to daily life and enabling quicker return to full health.
Applicable to high-risk patients
Robotic approach safe for elderly patients and those with comorbidities who could not previously undergo open pancreatic surgery.
Global knowledge contribution
Authored international textbook chapter; contributed to international consensus guidelines; 168 published papers advancing global oncology practice.
International training hub
45 international surgical fellows trained, building a global network of surgeons equipped with Taiwan's robotic pancreatic expertise.

Partner with Taiwan's leading pancreatic cancer center

Clinical collaboration · Clinical trials · Surgical training fellowship · Heavy-ion therapy research