ORLANDO, Florida, March 14 /PRNewswire/ --

Orlando, Fla., is known for theme parks and sun, but beginning Monday, surgeons from countries such as South Korea, Chile, Turkey, and Italy will come to Orlando for a different reason. They will be attending the World Robotic Urology Symposium to learn the latest about robotic surgery.

This one-of-a-kind conference is hosted by the Global Robotics Institute (GRI) at Florida Hospital, and led by the world's leaders in robotic surgery, including Dr. Vip Patel. Patel leads one of the world's most experienced robotic teams and recently accepted the appointment of medical director of the GRI.

"We have assembled the world's leading experts on robotic surgery to learn more about this new era in healthcare, the move toward surgeries that are less invasive," Patel said. "These conference participants will have the opportunity to learn from robotic surgery leaders about the latest in basic and advanced robotic techniques."

Nearly 600 healthcare professionals from around the world are expected to attend the conference, including approximately 30 international faculty members who will teach the latest in robotic surgery.

"This conference that is drawing in people from countries around the world is yet another economic 'shot in the arm' for establishing Orlando as a medical destination," said Ray Gilley, president of the Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission.

In addition to lectures, participants will have the unique opportunity to put on 3-D glasses to watch Patel perform robotic surgeries at Florida Hospital Celebration Health live via satellite. Other live surgeries will also be beamed in from around the country.

"The response we've had from this conference confirms what we've been saying about Orlando becoming a hub for science and medicine," said Lars Houmann, president of Florida Hospital and chairman of bioOrlando, a group that aims to stimulate the life science and biotechnology industry in Central Florida. "These surgeons are coming here from around the world because they know this is the place for medical innovation and technological advances."

The GRI at Florida Hospital is part of the Nicholson Center for Surgical Advancement, a robotic surgery training site for physicians from around the world. This is the Third Annual Robotic Surgery Symposium that Patel has hosted and the first time it has been hosted in Orlando, Fla.

Web site: http://www.floridahospital.org