Robotic Surgery

Traditional open surgery, which is carried out through incisions, has been replaced in recent decades by laparoscopic surgery, which consists of inflating the cavity where the operation is to be carried out (abdomen, thorax) with air and maneuvering inside it with forceps , accessing the interior of the patient through minimal incisions. This approach has great benefits for the patient, as it entails fewer postoperative complications, less pain, a shorter hospital stay, smaller scars, faster recovery, and less blood loss.

Although surgery has been a great advance for surgery, it also has its limitations, such as visibility, precision and ease of handling of the apparatus. To solve part of these problems, for a few decades, the robotic surgery, which is based on the assistance of robots by the surgeon to carry out the interventions. The application of robotic surgery globally, especially with the use of Da Vinci® robotic technology, It has opened the doors to much less invasive and more precise therapeutic alternatives for the patient.

How Robotic Surgery Is Done

In a robotic surgery intervention, the surgeon is positioned at a control console that is located away from the patient. From there, he is able to control the articulated arms of the robot, which are in charge of carrying out the necessary maneuvers to carry out the intervention successfully.

The use of robotic surgery eliminates a large number of the risks involved in open surgery and exceeds the advantages of laparoscopic surgery, since it improves the visibility of the operative field inside the patient and gives a three-dimensional view with an image that it is magnified up to 15x. It also provides greater precision by eliminating natural tremor and allows a greater range of movements that are lost with laparoscopy, being able to manipulate very small and fine articulated instruments.

Likewise, the robot facilitates perfect alignment between the surgeon's hands and eyes, offering much more ergonomic maneuverability for the surgeon and achieving surgical access to anatomical sites that would otherwise be technically inaccessible. This improved handling allows the surgeon greater accuracy and comfort during resection and suturing maneuvers.

Robotic surgery is an ideal technique for those surgeries that can be more complex and difficult to access. Its use has allowed great advances in oncological surgery of the rectum, esophagus and stomach, as well as in morbid obesity surgery, in liver and bile duct surgery, pancreatic and endocrine surgery. Likewise, it has been used for interventions of the pelvic floor in gynecology, and within the urological field it has been used with great results in surgery of, and kidney cancer.

Effective and safe

Nowadays there is enough scientific evidence to be able to affirm that robotic surgery is effective and safe. Most studies show similar results and, in some respects, better than the laparoscopic technique. However, well-designed studies are required to be able to assess the cost-effectiveness and long-term results of robotic procedures. Although there is still an important cost difference, a greater supply and diffusion of robotic technology could lead in the near future to a significant drop in prices and, consequently, to the implementation of robotic surgery as an alternative available to all patients.

Currently, there are more than 3,000 units of the Da Vinci® robot in hospitals around the world, 25 of which are in Spanish public and private hospitals.