Robots in Laparoscopic Surgery

TLDR

The Da Vinci Robotic System was introduced at our institution in August 2000, and its ability to restore hand‑eye coordination and provide a 3‑D view promises greater precision and confidence for complex procedures. The study reviews the status of robotic surgery and its application in advanced laparoscopic procedures. We report experience with 34 advanced laparoscopic cases performed with the Da Vinci system, including gastric bypasses, Heller myotomies, donor nephrectomies, gastrojejunostomies, and several other procedures. No robot‑related complications were observed, indicating that robotic surgery is a safe and effective alternative to conventional laparoscopy.

Abstract

The Da Vinci Robotic System became available at our institution in late August 2000. We decided to utilize this system to perform advanced laparoscopic procedures.This is a review of the status of robotics and its application in surgery. We report our experience using the Da Vinci system.We have used the Da Vinci for 34 advanced laparoscopic cases: 7 gastric bypasses for morbid obesity, 9 Heller myotomies for achalasia, 11 donor nephrectomies, 2 gastrojejunostomies, and single cases of bilateral adrenalectomy, Nissen fundoplication, Toupet fundoplication, and cholecystectomy. No robot-related complications were noted.This early experience suggests that robotic surgery is a safe and effective alternative to conventional laparoscopic surgery. We believe that robotic surgery, with its ability to restore the hand-eye coordination and three-dimensional view lost in laparoscopic surgery, will allow us to perform complex procedures with greater precision and confidence and better results.