Saturday 23 July 2016

Important Facts On Robotic Assisted Surgery Houston Residents Should Know

By Margaret Myers


The last few decades have seen tremendous strides made in surgical practice. These advances have not only significantly reduced the risks associated with surgery but have also improved outcomes. The adoption of robot assisted surgical operations is among the most important developments. This is a procedure that is now being used to perfume a wide variety of procedures. If they have been scheduled to have robotic assisted surgery Houston clients should understand a number of things.

In general, the robot technique is an improvement of other minimally invasive methods of operation such as laparoscopy. It provides greater precision than the conventional endoscopic technique while still giving the surgeon the ability to see their field of operation as clearly as possible. Due to the very small incisions that are used here, the risk of complications is markedly reduced.

The main feature of the robotic technique that differentiate it from other techniques is the fact that the surgeon does not handle the instruments directly. Robotic arms are designed to do this. The surgeon exerts control over the robot using a computer or a special piece of equipment known as a telemanipulator. The latter is designed to transmit hands movements made by the surgeon to the robotic arms.

A number of improvements have taken place on the robotic equipment since its first use. Among them is the inclusion of cameras and monitors that can generate 3-D images. This has made the operating experience not just an intersecting one but one that also closely resembles the reality. Another major development is the fact that lead surgeons can conduct an operation even when outside the operating room.

It is possible to incorporate robotic assistance into the open surgical procedures. This is what is called enhanced open surgery. The robot is used only in limited instances where it is thought to be better than the direct use of hands. This may include, for instance, the spreading of ribs. Robots have been shown to minimize surgery-related tissue trauma when used in open surgeries.

There are a number of surgeries that are conducted using robotic assistance. They include gynecological operations (such as hysterectomy, tubal ligation and tubal reversal), ventral hernia repair, mitral valve repair, coronary artery bypass, prostatectomy and lymph node biopsy among others. There is every indication that this list will keep expanding with time. The main limiting factor to the uptake is availability of the equipment.

In spite of the high level of computerization (and precision) associated with the technique, risks for complications still exist. Complications that may be encountered during the operation include excessive blood loss and injury to other organs (such as the intestines, the solid organs, major blood vessels and nerves). Infections may set in during the postoperative period. The overall risk is lower than that associated with the other methods.

There is a need to emphasize that robot assisted operations are not conducted by the robot. Rather, they are carried out by a surgeon with help from the robot. Another way of looking at it is that the robotic arms act as an extension of the hands of the surgeon. It is important for one to undergo comprehensive evaluation before they can be subjected to surgery to establish whether they can be operated using the technique.




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