Innovation, technology and humanisation: La Razón honours Dr Santos Jiménez de los Galanes

Dr Santos Jiménez de los Galanes Marchán has been awarded the Medical Doctor of the Year Award for Innovation in Robotic and Minimally Invasive Digestive Surgery by the newspaper La Razón in its 2025 edition. This recognition highlights his outstanding contribution to the advancement of digestive surgery through the incorporation of cutting-edge technologies and a patient-centred approach.

A national leader in the treatment of abdominal pathology using robotic and laparoscopic techniques, Dr. Santos Jiménez de los Galanes has developed a career marked by clinical excellence, technological innovation and human commitment. As he highlighted during the ceremony, his work is based on three fundamental pillars: a passion for medicine, a firm commitment to innovation and close, empathetic care for each patient.

Among his most significant contributions is the pioneering development of a virtual surgery programme for treating liver cancer, a tool that allows surgical procedures to be planned, simulated and practised, increasing the precision and effectiveness of the procedures. This initiative has helped to consolidate his hospital as a centre of excellence in Spain for robotic and minimally invasive digestive surgery.

Dr Jiménez de los Galanes has also highlighted the transformative role of robotics and artificial intelligence in modern surgery, emphasising their usefulness in improving postoperative results, personalising treatments and enhancing patient safety, always as a complement to —and never a substitute for— the clinical judgement of the professional.

The humanisation of healthcare is particularly relevant in his daily practice, especially in a field as complex as digestive surgery. For the doctor, listening, providing clear information and accompanying the patient throughout the care process is as important as the surgical technique, as trust and empathy have a decisive influence on recovery.

The award granted by La Razón is, in the words of Dr Jiménez de los Galanes himself, a tribute to the collective work of all the professionals involved and a reminder that true innovation in medicine only makes sense when science and technology are put at the service of people.