Priora won second place in the HealthComm Award category for the best technology solution in healthcare
Awarded for technological excellence in healthcare
Our urology department, with technologies such as Da Vinci robotic surgery, Mona Lisa fusion biopsy and Histolog, is recognized as one of the best technological solutions in healthcare.
Priora International Medical Center won second place in the HealthComm Award category for the best technological solution in healthcare. Priora competed with the project “Technology that facilitates the patient journey – Implementation of an integrated system for minimally invasive urology, urological oncology and robot-assisted surgery”.
The HealthComm Awards 2025 is the first award for excellence in healthcare that recognizes and rewards projects, initiatives and individuals that raise standards in healthcare, restore trust in the system and show what a new face of healthcare could look like – one that puts the patient at the center, does not wait for illness, but actively cares for the health of its citizens and ensures more healthy years of life.
Integrated approach to prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment at IMC Priora
Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer among men in the world and the leading cause of cancer-related death in Europe, with more than 400,000 new cases and 90,000 deaths per year, according to the European Cancer Information System. In Croatia, over 2,000 new cases are diagnosed annually, and the disease is often detected at a late stage, significantly reducing the chances of a cure. According to Europa Uomo, the main challenges in treatment include late diagnosis, limited access to innovative therapies, fragmented healthcare and a lack of integrated centres of excellence. This situation increases the burden on the healthcare system, prolongs hospital stays and increases emotional distress for patients.
Croatia and the region lag behind in the application of innovative technologies such as the Da Vinci robot-assisted surgery, which allows for greater precision and fewer complications, and the Mona Lisa Biobot fusion biopsies, which increase the accuracy of diagnosis and reduce the need for repeat procedures. An additional problem is the fragmentation of health services – the lack of institutions that offer integrated care from diagnostics to treatment in one place. Patients are often forced to travel abroad, which further increases costs and burden. Therefore, the development of national centers of excellence that combine precise diagnostics and modern surgery is important, which would significantly improve treatment outcomes and the availability of quality care.
To address key challenges in the diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer, IMC Priora implemented a unique integrated system for minimally invasive treatment and precise diagnostics of this disease in 2024. As an international medical center serving patients from Croatia, Europe and the world, IMC Priora sets a new level of oncology care in the region.
By integrating robotics, telemedicine, data-driven diagnostics and artificial intelligence, an innovative model has been developed that positions Croatia as a competitive destination for prostate cancer treatment, in accordance with the highest European and global standards.
Robotic surgery Da Vinci and Mona Lisa biopsy
IMC Priora is the first center in the region to combine Da Vinci robotic surgery, Mona Lisa fusion biopsies and digital histopathology into a single and integrated patient journey – from suspicion to postoperative analysis. This reduces waiting time and the number of complications, increases precision, and provides patients with faster and more efficient care with less emotional stress.
Three key technologies form the backbone of the project. The Da Vinci robotic system, the first in Croatia and Southeast Europe, enables precise, minimally invasive surgery with faster recovery and fewer complications. Mona Lisa Dx Biobot is the most advanced fusion biopsy system, which combines MRI and ultrasound data for more accurate, targeted diagnostics. Histolog Scanner is a modern platform for digital pathohistological analysis with the possibility of archiving and remote consultations.
IMC Priora is the only institution in the region and among the few in Europe that combines all three technologies in one system, providing personalized, comprehensive care – from the first suspicion to surgery and rapid analysis.
Patients from Croatia and the region are provided with access to the most modern treatment of prostate cancer without the need to travel abroad, which significantly reduces the financial and psychological burden for patients and their families. It also strengthens patients’ confidence in the availability of high-level urological oncology in Croatia and reduces inequalities in access to innovations in oncology care.
With this project, IMC Priora is also becoming an international center of excellence, as evidenced by the growing number of patients from Europe, Scandinavia, the Middle East and other regions. Croatia is thus increasingly positioned on the map of top medical destinations in the field of minimally invasive urology and oncology.
