Will there be a robot in your operating room?

While this may seem like silly question, an ever-increasing number of surgeries are being performed with the assistance of a robot. Sound like science fiction? Well, it is becoming a reality in a surprising number of surgical procedures.

 

The most widely used robotic surgery device is the da Vinci® Surgical System. It is comprised of four robotic arms that are directed by a surgeon using a remote console. These robotic arms include a small specialized camera that provides three dimensional images of the surgical field. The other robotic arms provide incision, clamping, suturing and many other surgical tasks that a surgeon would normally accomplish with her hands. As of right now, the “remote” console is only a few feet away from the patient, but an obvious long term application of the technology would be to permit surgeons to perform operations across town or across the globe.

 

 

The robotic arms transmit the surgeons movements to the patient, but they allow for a stability that is unmatched even by the steadiest hands. The robotic surgery device filters out sudden moves, tremors and unwanted motion to deliver smooth and precise movement. While the da Vinci® Surgical System does not function without a surgeon moving the robotic arms, most of the errant motion is removed from the procedure.

 

Robotic surgery devices have been applied to many different surgical procedures and across various surgical disciplines. You may find a robotic surgical device being operated by general surgeons performing routine to even the most complex procedures. Cardiac and cardiothoracic surgeons have incorporated robotic surgery into their practice because it allows for endoscopic approach in some cases, where a full open heart surgery would otherwise be required.

 

Many gynecological and urological surgeries are now performed with robotic assistance. In fact, surgery of the prostate using DIGI or direct image-guided intervention combined with robotic tools is perhaps the most autonomous form of robotic surgery to date. In contrast to the da Vinci system, the MrRobot and other prostate specific surgical robots allow the surgeon to give the robot specific surgical tasks rather than directly moving the robotic arms.

 

Even neurosurgeons are adopting robotic packages into surgical procedures. Neurosurgery, a discipline in which steady hands are essential, is well suited to robotic assistance. The NeuroArm device combines MRI technology with stereotactic surgery to provide highly detailed anatomical information and a steady platform on which to operate. One advantage of the NeuroArm device is that neurosurgeons can make rather large movements with the controls that result in very fine movements of the robot. Thus microsurgery, that is, surgery of very small structures, can be performed much more easily than using traditional methods.

 

Robotic surgery is still a new technology and you will be informed in advance of any procedure that could use a robot. Robotic surgical devices have some advantages over traditional surgical techniques and, while it may take some reassurance on the part of the surgeon, may play an integral part of your surgical procedure.