Benefits of Robotic Surgery
The da Vinci System is a remarkable improvement over conventional laparoscopy, in which the surgeon operates while standing and uses hand-held, long-shafted instruments that cannot bend or rotate. With conventional laparoscopy, the surgeon must look up and away from the instruments to a nearby 2D video monitor to see an image of the target anatomy.
In conventional laparoscopy, the surgeon must also rely on a patient-side assistant to position the camera correctly. In contrast, the da Vinci System's ergonomic design allows the surgeon to operate from a comfortable, seated position at the console, with eyes and hands positioned in line with the instruments. To move the instruments or to reposition the camera, the surgeon simply moves his/her hands.
By providing surgeons with superior vision, enhanced dexterity, greater precision and ergonomic comfort, robot-assisted surgery makes it possible for more surgeons to perform minimally invasive procedures involving complex and delicate dissection or reconstruction.
The benefits to patients can include:
- Less blood loss than traditional techniques
- Smaller scars (and in the case of single site surgery - possibly no visible scar)
- Less trauma during surgery
- Fewer complications
- A shorter hospital stay
- Faster recovery
- Quicker return to daily activities
