Robotic surgery

Robotic surgery or robotically assisted laparoscopic surgery refers to the performance of surgical operations using robotic systems. This technological advancement came from the need to perform more and more complex operations with high precision as well as the fact that traditional laparoscopy has some certain limitations like the inability to perform very complex movements of the instruments, especially in very tight spaces.

The interest in robotic surgery is not something new, but dates back to 1980s when the first robotic system for arthroscopic surgery was developed in Canada and used in humans. Following that a few more devices were developed for brain biopsies, prostate surgery etc. but at that time computer technology was not so advanced to support the increased precision and control required. In the 1990s, computer-controlled surgical devices began to emerge, enabling greater accuracy in surgical procedures. One of the most significant advancements in this period was the da Vinci Surgical System which used robotic arms to manipulate surgical instruments, allowing surgeons to perform complex procedures with greater accuracy and control.This was the progenitor of the DaVinci system that is used nowadays.

Another important step towards robotic surgery as we know it was the introduction of the ZEUS robot in 1998 along with the concept of telesurgery, which is the performance of surgery where the surgeon is at a distance  from the patient on a console and operates by controlling the robotic arms remotely.The most famous telesurgical procedure is the so called “Lindberg operation” performed in 2001 when a team of surgeons from New York operated in real time a patient in Strasbourg using the ZEUS robot. In the following years the companies producing the DaVinci and ZEUS systems merged leaving the first as the only widely available surgical robot. Since, then the attention to robotic surgery grew to the point that there are now many robotic systems available for general surgery, urology, gynecology, cardiac surgery etc. with more coming the next few years.

A surgical robot consists of 3 parts, the patient cart, the vision cart and the surgeon’s console all of them interconnected and working as one.

• The patient cart is the part of the robot that has the robotic arms, usually 4 in number, that hold the instruments as well as the camera and is directly attached to the patient. Under the surgeon’s control the arms move, performing extremely fine movements resulting in unprecedented precision.
• The vision cart is that part that contains all the software and hardware necessary for image processing in order to give the surgeon the unique 3D vision, making robotic surgery an immersive experience for the surgeon and increasing the accuracy of surgical maneuvers. It also contains the electrosurgical devices necessary for surgery and a screen.
• Surgeon’s cart is from where the surgeon controls the robot using specially designed joysticks.

Our practice offers robotic surgery, whenever indicated, using the latest generation of the DaVinci surgical system, the DaVinci Xi.

With respect, compassion ,empathy , professionalism and deep understanding of each individual’s problem we employ cutting edge technology and modern surgical techniques to give to our patients the best they deserve.