Roberto Puente

Papers

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About

Roberto Puente is a leading voice in the surgical innovation landscape of Latin America, with a focused expertise in the adoption and critical evaluation of robotic surgery within public healthcare systems. His most-cited work, "Robotic surgery in public hospitals of Latin-America: a castle of sand?" (2018, 27 citations), serves as a landmark critique that has shaped the regional discourse on high-cost surgical technologies. In this paper, Puente challenges the uncritical embrace of robotic platforms, arguing that their implementation in resource-constrained public hospitals risks creating unsustainable, inequitable systems—a "castle of sand" built on fragile foundations. His contribution lies not merely in highlighting these disparities but in providing a framework for assessing cost-effectiveness, training requirements, and patient access. By bridging the gap between surgical ambition and public health reality, Puente has become a pivotal figure for policymakers and surgeons alike, urging a cautious, evidence-based path forward. His work continues to influence how emerging technologies are integrated into Latin American healthcare, ensuring that progress does not come at the expense of equity.