Robotic Surgery Advancements

This article is good and interesting because it talks about what surgeons go through to become proficient in using surgical robotics. The surgeons and the nurses have to learn to use visual cues when performing these surgeries since they do not have any tactile sensations. In the training it is all team oriented just like it would be in real surgeries.

Imagine a place where robots can not only decrease mistakes, but it can also save many lives during dangerous and high risk surgeries. I have had friends and family have these procedures done, and it was helpful and successful. Telerobotic surgeries are helpful, it prevents less to no mistakes, less deaths, and makes procedures easier.

Included in the discussion of their cultures we will also touch on the way some countries feel about these types of technology. It will be important for us to also talk about the environment. Then, finally, we must talk about both the moral and ethical aspects of using robots to perform surgery. By researching and reporting these things, it is our desire for everyone to not only have a better understanding of the technology, but to consider it as an alternate source, if needed in the future. It is technology like robotic assisted surgery that will help us have the long, healthy lives we all desire.

As technology improves, surgical robots are rapidly gaining support among both doctors and patients across America. Today more than 900 hospitals have the da Vinci robot which is double the number in 2007. (Freyer, 2010) Da Vinci robots were first approved by the FDA in 2000 for prostate removal, but now da Vinci robots are used for a variety of other surgical procedures (Freyer, 2010). Robot assisted surgery offers advantages such as smaller incisions, reduced blood loss, less pain and faster healing time (Vijay, 2010), as well as making surgery less demanding for the surgeon. Robotic surgery involves many obvious advantages but the impact of cost, access, and quality must

Robotic-assisted surgery is starting to become the new way of performing surgeries. More and more hospitals are starting to invest in the technology to perform these types of surgeries. With the way technology keeps advancing, this will most likely be the way all surgeries are performed in the future. There are many things people need to be informed about such as, what robotic-assisted surgery is, what the pros of robotic assisted surgery are, and what the cons of robotic-assisted surgery are.

Although robotic assisted surgery has grown worldwide, and particularly in the United States where more than 67% of all da Vinci robots are installed, but as with any disruptive technology it faces some skepticism and challenges.

Robot assisted surgeries are surgical procedures which utilize a robotic system controlled by a physician or a surgeon (via a computer). The robotic system is equipped with a camera to help the operator see the organ being operated upon. These systems are known for their precision, accuracy, delicacy, and overall efficient controlling options. [3] Since their invention, they have been, and currently are used in urological, neurological, endoscopic, cardiovascular, and gynecological surgeries. Robot assisted surgeries have been in practice since 1990 after the approval of the technology by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), although the history of Robot assisted surgery dates back to 1985 when it was first used to perform a neurological biopsy. [1]

This robotic device can be used for several different surgical procedures ranging from gynecology surgeries to cancer procedures. Three components comprise the da Vinci surgery system: a high definition 3 dimensional vision system, a surgeon console and a patient cart. The patient cart contains four interactive robotic arms that are controlled by the surgeon during surgery. The robotic arms each hold the surgical instruments needed to perform the surgery. One of the robotic arms also holds a camera so the surgeon can view the surgical area he needs to perform on. While seated at the surgeon console, the da Vinci surgeon views the patient and the surgical field through a remarkable clear 3 dimensional screen. Forceps controls are also provided for the surgeon to manipulate the four interactive robotic arms. Each surgical instrument copies the surgeon’s movement to perform the surgery.

The 21st century can rightfully be considered as the era of technology when the new inventions and discoveries will most likely affect all the segments of human life. At this point, some of the breakthrough inventions of our times have been in the medical field. Robotic surgery has become an almost common practice in the advanced medical world and new uses for robotic assisted surgery are everyday set in place. However, such developments also attract different interests and implications.

In a robot-assisted operation, the surgeon uses a console to control robotic arms wielding surgical tools (SN: 11/12/16 p. 18). Surgical robots are increasingly being used for procedures such as tumor removal and organ transplants because the machines help doctors maneuver more precisely.

In summary, the Da Vinci Robot system provides a surgeon with a great deal of control, range of motion, fine tissue handling capability and a 3-D viewing system. It also allows the doctor to work through tiny incisions that is characteristic of minimally invasive surgery.

A Massachusetts doctor estimated that the average American will undergo about 5.97 surgical procedures in the operating room in their lifetime, and with the population rising, surgeons in the United States will need to perform more surgeries than ever before (Lee). Since the beginning of modern medicine, new technology has been rapidly introduced to aid surgeons. In 1985, the first robotic surgery occurred, and at the turn of the 21st century, the FDA approved the da Vinci Surgical System (Whitlock). Patients today can undergo robotic-assisted surgery from the da Vinci Surgical System, but this type of surgery remains the center of controversy. Robotic-assisted surgery (RAS) is safe, ethical, and a good option for both patients and surgeons because it uses small incisions which decrease blood loss, it can improve recovery time and reduce complications, and it can improve surgical control.

The Da Vinci Surgical System is a large purpose-built robot controlled by a surgeon that performs minimally invasive surgical procedures on patients. The system incorporates an ergonomically designed surgeon's console, a patient-side module with four interactive robotic arms, each with interchangeable surgical instruments and a 3-dimensional endoscopic vision system. Powered by high-tech supercomputers, the surgeon's hand movements are scaled, filtered and then converted into precise movements of the surgical attachments. The designers of the system are a team of doctors, engineers and biomedical engineers at a company called Intuitive Surgical.

Technology is transforming the medical field with the design of robotic devices and multifaceted imaging. Even though these developments have made operations much less invasive, robotic systems have their own disadvantages that prevent them from replacing surgeons all together. Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS) is a broad notion encompassing a lot of common procedures that existed prior to the introduction of robots. It refers to general procedures that keep away from long cuts by entering the body through small, usually about 1cm, entry incisions, through which surgeons use long-handled instruments to operate on tissue inside the body. Such operations are directed by viewing equipment and, therefore, do not automatically need the use of a robot. Yet, it is not incorrect to say that computer-assisted and robotic surgeries are categories that fall under minimally invasive surgery (Robotic Surgery, n.d.).

According to Mary Anne Dunkin’s article Surgery Goes Robotic, the invention of surgical robots was intended for military use only because it would provide a way for doctors to perform safe surgeries within the battlefield. The use of a surgical robot within the military would have allowed doctors to perform emergency surgeries within the battlefield (Childress). The only issue that was detected was the delay that occurs among signals. Unfortunately, “… it turned out that the delicateness of the robot would not lend itself to being out in the deserts of Iraq or the Sudan,” as Dr. Stubbs mentioned to Dunkin. Within Dunkin’s article, she mentions that even though the purpose of surgical robots was for military use only, “robotic technology could play a crucial role in surgeries performed in traditional operating rooms,”(Dunkin). About thirty years ago, the usage of robotics in medical procedures seemed farfetched because one would have never thought that the use of robots in the medical field would become the answer for many surgeons’ problems. For surgeons, the invention of the surgical robot gave them hope for a better future within their profession.