Charlotte surgical institute launches as US hub for robotic, minimally invasive training

Editor's Note

A new medical training institute in Charlotte, North Carolina, is positioning itself as a major national destination for robotic and minimally invasive surgery education, Axios Charlotte October 29 reports. The North American headquarters of IRCAD (Institut de Recherche contre les Cancers de l’Appareil Digestif, or Research Institute Against Digestive Cancer) is now open in the city’s midtown district and expected to train up to 8,000 healthcare professionals in its first year.

The French-founded IRCAD organization opened its Charlotte location in September. In the first 6 weeks, the institute ran 27 courses and trained 932 healthcare workers, including surgical residents and fellows from Atrium Health. Faculty from 14 countries have already participated, showing the global draw of the center.

The article reports the 120,000-square-foot facility includes four floors of high-tech training spaces, such as robotic suites, labs, and three auditoriums. Surgeons practice on cutting-edge devices, including a Medtronic robotic surgery system that has yet to receive FDA approval. Access to such equipment gives trainees a hands-on advantage ahead of anticipated clinical integration. The institute is also equipped with Siemens imaging robots and can convert to a hospital during emergencies.

Beyond its training mission, IRCAD is described as an anchor for Charlotte’s emerging innovation district known as The Pearl. Its presence is part of a broader development anchored by Wake Forest University School of Medicine and a research tower. Plans include a hotel for the thousands of visiting surgeons expected annually.

IRCAD works closely with medical technology companies like Stryker, Boston Scientific, and Johnson & Johnson, which provide devices and collaborate on course development. It also partners with the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons to support education across the surgical career span.