1. Introduction

René Sotelo (6 November 1962) is a Venezuelan robotic surgeon, urologist-oncologist and university professor.^[1][2]

2. Education

Sotelo received his medical degree from Central University of Venezuela^[3] and his residency in General Surgery and Urology was at Domingo Luciani Hospital, Venezuela. He completed fellowship in Urologic Oncology at the Hospital Padre Machado in Caracas, Venezuela; training in General Surgery and Urology Surgical Oncology at the National Cancer Center in Tokyo, Japan ^[4]; President of the Latin American Society of Minimally Invasive Surgery in Urology between 2006 and 2008); observership in Laparoscopic Surgery in the Urology Department at Cleveland Clinic Foundation; observer in St. Louis, Missouri School of Medicine, Division of Urology and preceptorship in digestive surgery and laparoscopy at Universidad de Sao Paulo, Brasil Hospital Das Clinicas.

3. Career

Sotelo is the founder of CIMI (Robotic and Minimally Invasive Surgery Center) in Venezuela; Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Dominican Republic, México and Bolivia. He is also a professor at the Medicine School of University of Southern California and Medical Director of the USC.^[5][6]

Sotelo has been a pioneer in robotic surgery for complex urinary fistula in men and women, benign prostate enlargement and inguinal lymph node dissection for cancer. Also, he has helped develop new concepts of single-port “belly-button” and natural orifice surgery. His experience with advanced robotic & laparoscopic surgery exceeds 4,000 personal cases.^[7]

Sotelo has been professor at 35 universities in 19 countries, where he has demonstrated advanced robotic & laparoscopic techniques at live surgical symposia. His experience includes training over 72 post-graduate fellows from 14 countries in robotic & laparoscopic urology. He has won more than 34 international awards from scientific and government organizations worldwide.^[8]

4. Publications

Sotelo is an international researcher with more than 75 peer reviewed scientific papers and 38 chapters in major urology books. He has published four text books: No le tenga miedo al dedo, Cirugía laparoscópica en urología, Prostate Cancer a Patient Guide y Complications in Robotic Surgery.^[9] He also serves on the editorial board of three urologic journals.^[10] He also has a Ted Talk: The Heartbreaking Truth of Penis Cancer.^[11]

• Arriaga, Juan; Sotelo, Rene (2016). "Which is the best treatment on a 2 cm complete endophitic tumor on the posterior side of the left kidney?". International Brazilian Journal of Urology 42 (1): 8–10. doi:10.1590/S1677-5538.IBJU.2016.01.04. ISSN 1677-5538. PMID 27120777. 
• "Cancer awareness crusades-pink ribbons and growing moustaches.". https://www.pubfacts.com/detail/31674311/Cancer-awareness-crusades-pink-ribbons-and-growing-moustaches. 
• "Colovesical Fistula.". https://www.pubfacts.com/detail/31242365/Colovesical-Fistula. 
• "Complications of robotic surgery in urological diseases: are we using standardized methodology to report complications?". https://www.pubfacts.com/detail/30489329/Complications-of-robotic-surgery-in-urological-diseases-are-we-using-standardized-methodology-to-rep. 
• "Needle lost in minimally invasive surgery: management proposal and literature review.". https://www.pubfacts.com/detail/29556867/Needle-lost-in-minimally-invasive-surgery-management-proposal-and-literature-review. 

5. Medical and Scientific Organizations Memberships

Sotelo is member of international medical and scientifics organizations, including the Society of Robotic Surgery, the Global Robotics Institute, the American Urological Association, the Sociedad Colombiana de Urología, the Sociedad Venezolana de Urología, the Confederación Americana de Urología, the Sociedade Brasilera de Urología, the Sociedad Ecuatoriana de Urología, the Sociedad Dominicana de Urología, the International Society of Sexual and Impotence Research, the Latin American Society for the Study of the Aging Male, the Endourology Society-Full Member, the Société Internationale dÚrologie, the International Consultation on Urological Diseases and the Endourological Society- Comitte of Endourology Education Training Site Program.^[12][13]