Is Robotic-Assisted Surgery Better?

Abstract

The surgical platform for robotic-assisted surgery has enabled many surgeons to join a popular trend in minimally invasive surgery, which offers prospective benefits to patients (eg, shorter hospital stays, earlier recovery, and less pain) and operational benefits to surgeons. Surgeons without minimally invasive surgical training typically acquired during fellowship training are generally able to perform complex procedures with the robotic platform due to its ergonomic suturing instrumentation, tremor stabilization, 3D visualization, and 4-arm control by a single surgeon. Prospective benefits, however, must be balanced against prospective risks. This article explores the multitude of factors that persuade both surgeons and patients to choose robotic surgery over open surgery or conventional laparoscopy and explores whether evidence exists to support its use despite sometimes conflicting research.