Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsHistoryMinimally Invasive SurgeryContraindicationsBenefitsRisksConditions TreatedBefore Robotic SurgeryDuring Robotic SurgeryAfter Robotic Surgery
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
History
Minimally Invasive Surgery
Contraindications
Benefits
Risks
Conditions Treated
Before Robotic Surgery
During Robotic Surgery
After Robotic Surgery
Robotic surgery (also called robotic-assisted surgery) is perhaps the most cutting-edge medical technology of modern times.
The most widely used system today involves a camera and the use of very small surgical tools attached to robotic arms. A specially trained surgeon controls the robotic arms from a viewing screen, which is usually situated in the same room as the operating table. But the viewing screen could be located far away, allowing surgeons to perform telesurgery from remote locations. The screen is part of what is referred to as a console, which allows surgical procedures to be performed from a seated position, while the surgeon views a magnified three-dimensional view of the patient’s surgical site.
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The History of Robotic Surgery
The PUMA 200 model has long been outdated, particularly with the launch of the robot model that is commonly used today, which is called the da Vinci robot. The da Vinci model was introduced in the year 2000. The early de Vinci model was the first to be approved for generallaparoscopic surgery(minimally invasive surgery of the abdomen or pelvis with the use of a camera). Since that time, the field of robotic-assisted surgery has exploded due to the drastic improvement in technology.
Today’s robotic surgery technology has improved dramatically in its accuracy, imaging technology, range of motion, and more. The modern robotic technology has also been adapted for multiple surgical specialties such as neurosurgery (the brain, spinal column, and peripheral nerves), heart and lung procedures, ear and throat surgeries, and more.
What Is Minimally Invasive Surgery?
Non-robotic minimally invasive surgery (also called endoscopic or laparoscopic surgery) can be done utilizing an endoscope (a narrow tube with a camera that is inserted through small incisions or through a natural opening such as the mouth or nose).But in non-robotic endoscopic surgery, the surgeon directly controls the small instruments via a channel (instead of controlling the robotic arms) while viewing the surgical site on a computer monitor.
One primary difference between traditional laparoscopic surgery and robotic-assisted surgery is the degree to which the tools can be manipulated. This is due to the higher level of range of motion and increase in the dexterity of movement that can be attained using robotic technology.
Who Should Not Have Robotic Surgery?
There are several reasons that robotic-assisted surgery is not an option, these may include:
If you are uncertain about qualifying for robotic surgery, be sure to have a discussion with your healthcare provider. Many times the hospital has a special board that makes decisions on who qualifies for robotic-assisted surgery, so there could be a period of time that you have to wait for the professionals to decide on your specific case.
Benefits of Robotic Surgery
There are several major benefits of receiving robotic-assisted surgery, these include:
Risks of Robotic Surgery
Although robotic-assisted surgery is generally considered safe, there are some factors that may increase the risk of injury during surgery, these include:
Risks that apply to any type of surgery, including robotic-assisted surgery include:
Studies on Robotic-Assisted Surgery Risks
Another study, published in 2019, reported that the majority of serious events from robotic surgery involved lacerations, bleeding, complications from patient positioning, retained foreign bodies, and infections.
Note, keep in mind that all types of surgical procedures pose risks, including traditional surgery as well as other types of minimally invasive surgery (such as laparoscopic surgery and open surgery). To properly weigh the risks versus the benefits of robotic-assisted surgery, it’s important to consult with your surgeon and other healthcare providers when considering robotic-assisted surgery.
Conditions Commonly Treated With Robotic Surgery
There are many different types of surgery that can be performed using the robotic-assisted technology, including:
Before surgery, it’s important to:
The steps for receiving robotic assisted surgery include:
After Robotic-Assisted Surgery
Although recovery after robotic surgery is usually much shorter and less painful than traditional surgery, there may be some activity and lifting restrictions, post-operative (after surgery) instructions may include:
Be sure to speak to your surgeon before the procedure about what to expect after surgery, so that you can be prepared.
9 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Cleveland Clinic.Case studies: The role of minimally invasive robot-assisted surgery in urology.Shah J, Vyas A, Vyas D.The history of robotics in surgical specialties.Am J Robot Surg. 1(1):12-20. doi:10.1166/ajrs.2014.1006American Cancer Society.Laparoscopy.Tan, Y., Liverneaux, P. Wong, J. Frontiers in Surgery.Current Limitations of Surgical Robotics in Reconstroctuve Plastic Microsurgery.University of Florida Health.Robotic nerve-sparing radical prostatectomy.AHRQ. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).Robotic surgery: Risks vs. rewards.Alemzadeh H, Raman J, Leveson N, Kalbarczyk Z, Iyer RK.Adverse events in robotic surgery: A retrospective study of 14 years of FDA data.PLoS One. 11(4):e0151470. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0151470Sheetz KH, Dimick JB.Is it time for safeguards in the adoption of robotic surgery?.JAMA. 321(20):1971-1972. doi:10.1001/jama.2019.3736MedlinePlus.Robotic surgery.
9 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Cleveland Clinic.Case studies: The role of minimally invasive robot-assisted surgery in urology.Shah J, Vyas A, Vyas D.The history of robotics in surgical specialties.Am J Robot Surg. 1(1):12-20. doi:10.1166/ajrs.2014.1006American Cancer Society.Laparoscopy.Tan, Y., Liverneaux, P. Wong, J. Frontiers in Surgery.Current Limitations of Surgical Robotics in Reconstroctuve Plastic Microsurgery.University of Florida Health.Robotic nerve-sparing radical prostatectomy.AHRQ. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).Robotic surgery: Risks vs. rewards.Alemzadeh H, Raman J, Leveson N, Kalbarczyk Z, Iyer RK.Adverse events in robotic surgery: A retrospective study of 14 years of FDA data.PLoS One. 11(4):e0151470. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0151470Sheetz KH, Dimick JB.Is it time for safeguards in the adoption of robotic surgery?.JAMA. 321(20):1971-1972. doi:10.1001/jama.2019.3736MedlinePlus.Robotic surgery.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Cleveland Clinic.Case studies: The role of minimally invasive robot-assisted surgery in urology.Shah J, Vyas A, Vyas D.The history of robotics in surgical specialties.Am J Robot Surg. 1(1):12-20. doi:10.1166/ajrs.2014.1006American Cancer Society.Laparoscopy.Tan, Y., Liverneaux, P. Wong, J. Frontiers in Surgery.Current Limitations of Surgical Robotics in Reconstroctuve Plastic Microsurgery.University of Florida Health.Robotic nerve-sparing radical prostatectomy.AHRQ. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).Robotic surgery: Risks vs. rewards.Alemzadeh H, Raman J, Leveson N, Kalbarczyk Z, Iyer RK.Adverse events in robotic surgery: A retrospective study of 14 years of FDA data.PLoS One. 11(4):e0151470. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0151470Sheetz KH, Dimick JB.Is it time for safeguards in the adoption of robotic surgery?.JAMA. 321(20):1971-1972. doi:10.1001/jama.2019.3736MedlinePlus.Robotic surgery.
Cleveland Clinic.Case studies: The role of minimally invasive robot-assisted surgery in urology.
Shah J, Vyas A, Vyas D.The history of robotics in surgical specialties.Am J Robot Surg. 1(1):12-20. doi:10.1166/ajrs.2014.1006
American Cancer Society.Laparoscopy.
Tan, Y., Liverneaux, P. Wong, J. Frontiers in Surgery.Current Limitations of Surgical Robotics in Reconstroctuve Plastic Microsurgery.
University of Florida Health.Robotic nerve-sparing radical prostatectomy.
AHRQ. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).Robotic surgery: Risks vs. rewards.
Alemzadeh H, Raman J, Leveson N, Kalbarczyk Z, Iyer RK.Adverse events in robotic surgery: A retrospective study of 14 years of FDA data.PLoS One. 11(4):e0151470. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0151470
Sheetz KH, Dimick JB.Is it time for safeguards in the adoption of robotic surgery?.JAMA. 321(20):1971-1972. doi:10.1001/jama.2019.3736
MedlinePlus.Robotic surgery.
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