Robotic Surgery

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.

Other disadvantages include having a doctor who may be extremely experienced with traditional surgery, but hasn’t had enough practice with robots. It takes about 200 to 300 robot-assisted operations to become highly skilled (Kolota, 2010). Another disadvantage is that the robots take up a large area of the operating room (Berlinger, 2006). This makes it difficult for nurses, anesthesiologists and other surgeons to move around freely. Many traditional hospital operating rooms are not nearly big enough for these machines; therefore renovations have to be done which add to the costs associated with da Vinci robots. A more specific example of lack of quality is from a done by Harvard Medical School researchers of men who had prostate cancer surgery. It showed that men who had robotic surgery were more than twice as likely to experience incontinence or impotence a year and a half after their operations, compared to patients who had traditional surgery using an open incision (Kowalczyk, 2009). Although these new robots are helping the immediate recovery for patients, complications in the long run seem to be higher. Some patients and doctors believe the benefits of robotic surgery outweigh the negatives while others prefer to rely on the old fashion way that has been being conducted

robot assistance. If robotic device can be used in surgeries to improve the outcome of surgeries

Robotic surgery is playing a crucial role in the advancement of current medical technology. The cost effectiveness of these procedures, coupled with the rates of procedure safety, procedure failure or complications, and patient recovery has the potential to drive the success or failure of robotic use.

Beginning from trephination which according to historians was the oldest operation performed even in prehistoric times to minimally invasive operations with use of technology that have now become the norm in modern era, the field of surgery has evolved by leaps and bounds. Various aspects of technology assisted surgery have been dealt with in this paper along with the different types of technologies in use like computer assisted and robotic surgeries. Traditional and modern methods have been compared and their pros and cons have been discussed in detail along with the application of technology in various surgical branches.

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.

2. To conduct this type of research I will be looking at different hospitals and look at reports of the surgeries that have been conducted. By looking at these reports, I will be able to see first the type of surgery that was done as well as whether it was done through robotic surgery or just regular invasive surgery. The report would also be able to tell me the post-op infection and pain rate between those who had surgery invasively or with the robotic

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.

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.).

The beginning use of surgical robots within medical setting benefits the surgeon as well as the patient; it gives the da Vinci Surgical System a bright future within today’s society.