You have just been diagnosed with a condition requiring surgery. In the past, your options included traditional surgery with a large open incision, which requires a long recovery and disruption of your daily activities, or laparoscopy, a minimally invasive technique which uses small incisions, resulting in significant less pain, shorter hospital stays and fewer complications.
Robotic-assisted surgery is the next generation of minimally-invasive laparoscopy. Through the use of robots and computer-assisted technology, surgeons are now able to offer minimally invasive and more precise options for many complex surgical procedures including cancer treatment, thoracic, urology, endometriosis, vascular surgery, and hip/knee replacements.
The surgeons at ACRS are all specially trained robotic surgical technology. Robotic surgery is a less invasive surgical technique that uses a state-of-the-art surgical system that enables your surgeon to operate through a few tiny incisions. Its 3D-HD vision system allows surgeons to see key anatomy with great clarity and it's unique wristed instruments provide enhanced precision, dexterity and control – critical for complex operations like colectomy.
This procedure is done under general anesthesia (you are asleep and pain-free). The surgeon sits at a computer station nearby and directs the movements of a robot. Small instruments are attached to the robot's arms.
The surgeon first inserts these instruments through small surgical cuts. Under the surgeon's direction, the robot matches the doctor's hand movements to perform the procedure using the tiny instruments. A thin tube with a camera attached to the end of it (endoscope) allows the surgeon to view highly magnified three-dimensional images of your body on a monitor in real time.
Robotic surgery is a type of procedure that is similar to laparoscopic surgery. It also can be performed through smaller surgical cuts than traditional open surgery. The small, precise movements that are possible with this type of surgery give it some advantages over standard endoscopic techniques.
Sometimes robotic-assisted laparoscopy can allow a surgeon to perform a less-invasive procedure that was once only possible with more invasive open surgery. Once it is placed in the abdomen, a robotic arm is easier for the surgeon to use than the instruments in endoscopic surgery.
The robot reduces the surgeon's movements (for example, moving 1/2 inch for every 1 inch the surgeon moves), which reduces some of the hand tremors and movements that might otherwise make the surgery less precise. Also, robotic instruments can access hard-to-reach areas of your body more easily through smaller surgical cuts compared to traditional open and laparoscopic surgery.
During robotic surgery, the surgeon can more easily see the area being operated on. The surgeon is also in a much more comfortable position and can move in a more natural way than during endoscopy. However, robotic surgery can take longer to perform, due to the amount of time needed to set up the robot. Also, the robot is expensive to use and may not be available in many hospitals.
Because the surgical cuts are typically smaller than with traditional open surgery, robotic surgery may lead to: