What are the Benefits of Minimally Invasive Robotic Surgery?

Instead of operating on patients through large incisions, doctors now have robotic surgery as an available option. Robotic surgery lets doctors perform many complex procedures with more precision, flexibility, and control than they could with conventional techniques.

What Is Robotic Surgery?

Robotic surgery is a minimally invasive surgery that uses miniaturized surgical instruments that fit through a series of quarter-inch incisions. No, the robot does not perform the surgery. The surgeon uses instruments guided by a console.

A surgeon can control the instruments from a console in the operating room. By placing his fingers on the master controls, he can operate the four arms simultaneously while looking through a high-def monitor that gives him a better, more detailed 3D view than his own eyes could provide.

The da Vinci Surgical System

The da Vinci Surgical System was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2000. Hospitals in the U.S. and Europe quickly adopted its use for treatment of a wide range of conditions. Surgeons can perform more delicate, complex procedures. The da Vinci system translates the surgeon’s hand movements in real-time, bending, and rotating the instruments during the procedure.

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The da Vinci robot allows the surgeon maximum range of motion and precision with three miniaturized instruments mounted on three separate robotic arms. The da Vinci robot’s fourth arm includes a magnified high-def 3D camera to guide the surgeon during the minimally invasive surgery.

Using robotic surgery, surgeons can perform more complex urological, gynecological, cardiothoracic, and general surgical procedures. Four different versions of the da Vinci robot are available: the da Vinci Si, the da Vinci X, the da Vinci XI, and the da Vinci SP.

The system includes three main components: the surgeon console, the patient cart, and the vision cart. The surgeon console is the interface used by the surgeon. The patient cart is positioned alongside the bed and holds the camera and instruments that the surgeon controls. And the vision cart makes communication between the components possible and supports the 3D high-definition vision system.

Because doctors perform these minimally invasive surgeries with smaller incisions, patients experience additional benefits, such as less trauma on the body, minimal scarring, and faster recovery time. The surgery also results in reduced pain, shorter hospital stays, and less blood loss.