Robotic surgery is the latest evolution of minimally invasive surgical procedures and is now available at Mount Carmel East, West and St. Ann’s on the da Vinci Robotic Surgical System. During surgery, three or four robotic arms are inserted into the patient though small incisions in the abdomen. One arm is a camera, two act as the surgeon's hands and a fourth arm may be used to move obstructions out of the way. Patients are surrounded by a complete surgical team, while the surgeon is seated at a nearby console. The surgeon uses a viewfinder which provides a three dimensional image of the surgical field, and the surgeon's hands are placed in special devices that direct the instruments. The robotic arms filter out any tremors in the physician's hands and increases the physician's range of motion. This enhanced precision is especially helpful to the surgeon during especially delicate portions of procedures.
Patient Benefits
Due to small incisions, less trauma to the body and greater surgeon precision, robotic surgery provides the following benefits over traditional open procedures including:
Shorter hospital stay
Less blood loss
Less pain
Fewer complications, including less risk of infection
Faster return to normal activities
For surgeons, robotic surgery is more precise due to better visualization of the surgical field, correction for tremors in hand movements and greater maneuverability of instruments. Watch the video below to understand more about the da Vinci robot.
