Robotic Surgery Explained
Robotic surgery is the use of mechanical devices to position and manipulate surgical instruments. Robotics has greatly improved many surgical procedures. The use of robotic surgery is increasingly popular in the form of laparoscopic surgery. The use of robotics in laparoscopic surgery allows the surgeon to operate through tiny incisions in the skin which greatly minimizes scarring and reduces the healing time that would be necessary with traditional surgery.
During a robotically-assisted surgery, the surgeon uses a small camera inserted through a small incision to view inside the body. The camera’s view is displayed on a computer screen. Surgeons sit at the console and use controls to manipulate the camera and surgical tools to complete the surgery. Some people describe the controls as resembling the controls for a video game.
Laparoscopic surgeries require the surgeons to stand and hold the instruments. Some robotically-assisted surgeries allow the surgeon to be seated at a console where they control the movement of the devices being used to perform the surgery. The robot-assisted surgery may include higher quality images from which the surgeon works.
The precision of the instruments may be better with robotic surgery than either laparoscopy or traditional surgery. This is especially true when the laparoscopic surgery would require the surgeon to be in awkward positions. The robot-assisted surgery allows a greater range of motion. A disadvantage of robotic surgery is the costs of purchase of the device and necessary maintenance.
The device and control console typically take up a considerable amount of room in an operating room. In some cases, the controls are located outside the operating room. A surgeon could sit at the console in another room and operate on a patient by controlling the robotic arms and instruments in the operating room from the console located elsewhere. Eventually, surgeons may be able to use the consoles to perform operations from a greater distance such as a different state.
Because the laparoscopic and robotic-assisted surgery is minimally invasive, the resulting scars on the skin are very small. They are often hidden inside the navel when possible. This makes the recovery period much shorter than if the person had a large incision with more stitches or staples. The tiny incisions reduce the risk of infection which is a common complication of surgery.
Robotic surgeries may be used more often in the future if the procedures become more cost effective. One of the financial advantages of robotic surgeries is the decreased need for supportive staff during the surgery. The number of nurses required during a robotic surgery is less than those needed for a traditional surgery. With this financial incentive, more hospitals may use robotic surgery if the cost of the equipment decreases.