More and more top surgeons are choosing to perform surgery with the help of robotic tools. Surgeries and procedures that once required large incisions and weeks of recovery are now minimally invasive, more effective and return patients to normal activities in a matter of days.
da Vinci Robots in the Operating Room
Guttenberg Municipal Hospital is home to the most advanced da Vinci surgical robot: The da Vinci X Surgical System which allows doctors to operate with greater precision and minimal discomfort for the patient.
The process. While the procedures vary, the process of robotic surgery typically involves the following:
- Initially, the surgeon and robotic team work together to place the robot in the most ideal position for the procedure, strategically placing the robotic arms.
- Throughout the robotic surgery the surgeon sits at a special console near the patient and surgical team.
- A very small 3D camera and dime-sized surgical instruments are placed inside the patient through tiny incisions. The camera gives the surgeon a magnified 360-degree view of the operative field.
- Using the console’s hand and foot controls, the surgeon remotely moves the robotic arms attached to surgical instruments. Surgical technicians are positioned at the operating table to confirm the correct placement of the surgical instruments. Registered Nurses are present as well to assist the anesthesia provider and monitor patient needs and safety during the procedure.
Benefits of da Vinci robotic surgery
Compared to traditional techniques, the very small incisions created by robotic surgery drastically reduce patients’ time in the hospital and their risk of infections. The use of high-definition 3D cameras allows surgeons close-up views of areas they can’t see during open surgery. Fully articulating robotic arms mimic the movement of hands, allowing surgeons to have greater dexterity and control than is possible with conventional laparoscopic instruments.
