Robotic surgery is a relatively new concept among surgeons in India and has several advantages over laparoscopy. Robotic surgery allows many complex procedures to be carried out with precision. As a result, a person can be discharged from the hospital more quickly and in less time.
WHAT EXACTLY IS ROBOTIC SURGERY?
The procedure usually involves a doctor using a console to guide the robot to perform surgery while viewing the area to be operated on in 3D
Surgeons direct robotic arm extensions to perform highly complex surgeries in areas where human hands might feel restricted.
Those who believe that robots perform surgery have "misunderstood" robotic surgery.
"This is not true. Most people are familiar with laparoscopy, in which keyholes are created with various instruments such as scissors and other tools to hold the tissue. These instruments are complex and have a limited range of motion. However, with robotic devices, we can drill the same hole while having more freedom, almost like human hands. So it appears that you are performing surgery while sitting inside the abdomen."
THE BENEFITS OF ROBOTIC SURGERY
Visualization of structures becomes more vivid when a camera is rotated 360 degrees. "You can get into the corners and crevices of the surgical area." "You can pick the problem areas without causing disruption."
Aside from outperforming the cut-open procedure, robotic surgery provides surgeons with the freedom of "intuitive movement."
"Unlike laparoscopy, it provides magnification with intuitive movements." This means the instrument will move to the left if I move my hand to the right during laparoscopy. To perform a laparoscopy, one must learn a specific skill. If you move your hand to the right side during robotic surgery, the instrument will also move to the right. This is called an intuitive movement.
Complicated procedures are easily accomplished, such as implant/leg alignment and deformity correction.
Robotic surgery eliminates the possibility of human error due to artificial intelligence.
It's a boon for patients and doctors because it produces better cosmetic results and allows patients to recover faster after surgery.
Initially, doctors would remove the whole kidney in small kidney tumours through laparoscopy. But with the robotic approach, Now surgeons can save a significant amount of the kidney and remove the tumour without compromising the cancer principles.
In some cardiac surgeries, the robotic approach is "safer for patients because there is no violation of the bone medullary canal."
ROBOTIC SURGERY'S DISADVANTAGES
However, Robotic surgery is not about people choosing it because they like it; it is about case selection.
It's not like a blanket cover that fits everyone. You must choose this robotic procedure with care. It is the complexity of the surgery and overall safety that are of the utmost importance. We must evaluate the risk-benefit ratio and the patient's safety rather than the procedure itself, especially considering how long you can benefit from it and whether you need to perform conventional or minimally invasive surgery.
In India, there are very few cardiac surgery centres. It takes a long time and is expensive. Unfortunately, India has yet to make significant investments in the health sector. This type of technology is expensive. However, we must adapt to new technologies .
Surgeon training programmes have a learning curve. "It takes years to get there and then deliver." So it's not very popular right now for a variety of reasons. However, robotic surgery should gradually become a popular technique.
The first robotic surgery was performed on a prostate cancer patient. Because this organ is profoundly located in the pelvis and would become complicated with laparoscopy, a radical robotic proctectomy was performed. Unfortunately, as a result, this surgery began with prostate cancer.
Nevertheless, due to its benefits, the procedure was gradually implemented in many other surgeries, with gastro surgeons, cardiothoracic surgeons, ENT surgeons, neck surgeons, and neurologists adopting the approach.
