Thursday, July 28, 2016

Important Facts On Robotic Assisted Surgery Houston Residents Should Know

By Margaret Myers


In the last few years, there have been great advances in techniques employed in surgery. The aim of all this progress is to reduce operative risk and to increase the chances of getting favorable outcomes. The entry of robotic assisted surgery is one of the developments that has helped achieve this objective. It is a technique that has been received with enthusiasm and is now being used for a variety of operations. There are a number of things regarding robotic assisted surgery Houston patients need to know.

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.

There are a number of centers that have incorporated aspects of robotic technique into the traditional open surgery. When this is done, the operation will be referred to as enhanced open technique. The robot may be used to retract structures such as ribs. Its advantage over the manual method is that the force required can be controlled with greater precision hence a lower risk of trauma to tissues.

There are many operations that are performed using this technique. These range from cardiovascular, gynecological and urological surgeries. Specific examples include the repair of hernias, removal of the prostate (prostatectomy), kidney transplants, coronary artery bypass procedures, tubal reversal and cardiac valve repair among others. This list continues to grow by the day.

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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