Imagine major surgeries performed through the smallest of incisions.Imagine having the benefits of a definitive treatment but with the potential for significantly less pain, shorter hospital stay, faster return to normal daily activities as well as better clinical outcomes! The product is called "da Vinci " in part, because Leonardo da Vinci invented the first robot. He also used unparelleled anatomical accuracy and three dimensional details to bring his masterpieces to life. It provides surgeons with such enhanced detail and precision that the system can simulate an open surgical environment while allowing operation through tiny incisions. With the da Vinci Surgical system hospitals are rewriting accepted standards for surgical care and changing the experience of surgery. This breakthrough technology is an effective minimally invasive alternative to both open surgery and laparoscopy. Through the use of the da Vinci Surgical system, surgeons are now able to offer a minimally invasive option for complex surgical procedures. Some of the major benefits experienced by surgeons using the da vinci over traditional approaches have been greater surgical precision, increased range of motion,improved dexterity, enhanced visualization and improved access, Benefits experienced by patients include a shorter hospital stay, less pain, less risk of infection, less blood loss, fewer transfusion, less scarring, faster recovery and a quicker return to normal daily activities. None of these can be guaranteed, as surgery is necessarily both patient and procedure specific.
While clinical studies support the effectiveness of the Robotic surgeries, individual results may vary,There are no guarantees of outcome. All surgeries involve the risk of complications. Before you decide on surgery, discuss treatment options with your doctor. Understanding the risk of each treatment can help you make the best decision for your individual situation. It may not be appropriate for every individual, it may not be applicable to your condition. A very common question about robotic surgery is will it make the surgeon unnecessary? On the contrary, it enables surgeons to be more precise,advancing their technique and enhancing their capability in performing complex minimally invasive surgery. The system replicates the surgeons movements in real time. It cannot be programmed, nor can it make decisions on its own to move in any way to perform any type of surgical maneuver without the surgeons input. Does the surgeon have any sensations while performing the procedures ? The system relays some force feedback sensations from the operative field back to the surgeon throughout the procedure. This force feedback substitutes for the tactile sensation and is augmented by the enhanced vision provided by the high resolution 3D view. Although seated at a console few feet away from the patient, the surgeon views an actual image of the surgical field while operating in real time through tiny incisions,using miniaturized, wristed instruments. The system does not maneuver on its own outside of the surgeons direct, real time control.
Robotic surgery, a new tehnology in different parts of the world has its disadvantages also. Its uses and efficacy has not been fully determined. There are not many long term studies on this to confirm or deny its effectiveness. The prominent disadvantages to robotics include Time, Cost , Efficacy and its Compatibility with current and existing conditions. Robotic assisted heart surgeries can take nearly twice the amount of time and the patients are under anaesthesia for longer time . It definitely is more expensive.The cost may fall as surgeons gain more experience and start doing it more often but as the system gets upgraded and improved there are chances that the price may even go higher. Only when these systems gain more multidisciplinary use will the cost become more justified. Another disadvantage is the large system in an overcrowded operating room. The robotic arms are awkward and bulky and there are many instruments needed in the small space. For robotic assisted beating heart surgery the space is even smaller because stabilizers are needed. This cramped area can cause interference with the dexterity of the surgeon. The solution is to miniaturize the robotic arms or have larger operating areas. With either solution, robotics is an especially expensive technology. Current operating room instruments are not compatible with new robotic system. Without the correct equipment, tableside assistance is needed to perform part of the surgery. But with time and improvement in technology, these disadvantages will hopefully be remedied.