Breaking Barriers in the Operating Room: Voices and Experiences of Women Surgeons in the Era of Robotic Surgery in Latin America
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24054/coh.v14i1.4284Keywords:
Robotic surgery, Gender equity, Female surgeons, Surgical innovation, Female leadershipAbstract
Robotic surgery is one of the most relevant advances in minimally invasive surgery, with a growing impact in urology, general surgery, and gynecology. However, scientific literature in Latin America remains limited, particularly regarding female leadership. Objective. To analyze the scientific production of Latin American female surgeons in robotic surgery, identifying contributions, gaps, and development perspectives. Theoretical framework. The study is based on gender equity theories and frameworks of surgical innovation, which emphasize the importance of women’s participation in generating medical knowledge and academic leadership. Methodology. A narrative review with an exploratory bibliometric approach was conducted in indexed databases (PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar), identifying female-authored publications classified by topic and surgical specialty. Results. Notable contributions include the publication by Dr. Omaira Rodríguez in the Revista Venezolana de Cirugía (2020) on robotic surgery for achalasia, as well as the work of Dr. Paula Volpe in Brazil and Dr. Claudia Jaimes in Colombia. The findings confirm the low academic visibility of women in this field, despite growing institutional interest. Conclusions. The participation of female surgeons in scientific production on robotic surgery in Latin America is still limited but shows signs of consolidation. Strategies of gender equity, academic training, and institutional support are needed to strengthen female leadership in surgical innovation.
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