Robotic surgery: Everything you need to know

A cancer diagnosis can be devastating. That is why it is critical to discover the facts about the problem and the best treatment alternatives before deciding.

Open surgical procedures have traditionally been used to treat malignancies. However, open surgery is linked to a big wound, a longer recovery time, and a slower return to normal activities. Laparoscopic surgery has been proven to be a viable, safe, and effective treatment option for cancers such as colon, endometrial, cervical, and esophageal cancers. Still, it has limitations due to the 2-dimensional image, limited range of motion instruments, and reliance on a trained assistant to hold the camera.

Robotic Surgery

Dr. Sandeep Nayak, a cancer specialist, uses robotic surgery to assist remove hard-to-reach tumors, minimize operation durations, and reduce adverse effects for patients compared to traditional surgery. These instruments first appeared in the late 1990s and are now becoming more widespread in operating rooms.

According to oncologists in India, robotic surgery provides very high definition and magnified 3-dimensional vision with the surgeon controlling the camera. The surgeon can employ instruments with exceptional degrees of freedom (Endo-wristed) in limited places to access difficult-to-reach malignancies and at angles impossible to achieve with open or laparoscopic equipment. In addition, motion scaling, which allows the surgeon to minimize the degree of instrument movement as a percentage of the surgeon’s finger movement, allows for more precision. All of this enables extraordinary surgical methods in cancer surgery to be performed with the utmost flexibility and precision.

Due to enhanced vision, robotic techniques in cancer surgery enable a significant operation to be performed while preserving nerves and other vital components. It is especially crucial when it comes to rectal, gynecologic, and prostate cancer operations. In robotic prostate cancer surgery, for example, every effort is made to avoid damaging the nerves. Because the nerves and veins are amplified, saving them and preserving their power is considerably more manageable.

Like many other surgical methods, robotic surgery can have some advantages for both patients and surgeons, but it is not always the best option. What patients should know about this therapy option is as follows.

The Advantages of Robotic Surgery are:

Dr. Sandeep Nayak,who is well known cancer specialist in Bangalore, believes that the robotic instrument used in surgery has higher agility and range of motion than traditional laparoscopic, or minimally invasive, surgery. It allows surgeons to operate on portions of the body that are difficult to reach and a closer look at problematic areas to view. In minimally invasive operations, robotic equipment is frequently used. Small incisions are used in these surgeries, as the name implies. Minor discomfort, less blood loss, shorter hospital stays, and faster recovery times are all expected benefits of this procedure.

The following are some of the advantages for patients:

  • Precise cancerous tissue removal
  • Significantly lower pain levels
  • Scarring is reduced.
  • Resumption of typical daily activities in a shorter period
  • Cancer cure rates comparable to open surgery

Except for locally advanced tumors, almost all malignancies are responsive to this treatment.

The following cancers are among those where robotic surgery can produce outstanding results:

  • Rectal and colon cancer
  • Cervical cancer and endometrial cancer
  • Cancers of the esophagus (food pipe) and stomach
  • Pancreatic cancer in its early stages
  • Cancers of the kidney, bladder, and prostate

robotic surgery medical operation patient

Risks

Robotic surgery carries risks, some of which are similar to those associated with traditional open surgery, such as the possibility of infection and other problems.

Robotic surgery places a high premium on patient safety.

In some cases, the doctor should use traditional methods (sometimes known as “open surgery”) instead of robotic surgery. Several factors determine the procedures utilized during surgery.

Recent research suggests that robotic surgery may not be as safe or effective as traditional surgery when it comes to eliminating malignancies.

“These studies can be useful, but they may not apply to all cancer types or even all hospitals,” says Dr. Sandeep Nayak.

He says that the effectiveness of robotic surgery depends on many things, including the type of cancer, the location of the procedure on the body, the patient’s past surgery, and the surgeon’s choice and experience.

Choose the best surgeon for you.

If you’re thinking about having robotic surgery, make sure you follow these steps first.

  • Select the best surgeon for the job. Make sure your doctor is skilled and knowledgeable about the surgery you’re having.
  • Inquire about the potential for side effects. It will assist you in setting reasonable post-surgery expectations
  • Discuss any worries you have regarding robotic surgery or surgery in general with your surgeon. Your doctor may give you information unique to your cancer kind or situation that will help you relax and understand why this procedure is the best option for you.

The most recent advancements in cancer surgery change rapidly, making sure you have all of the knowledge you need to make the best selection for you.

What to expect from a Robotic Surgical Procedure?

The robotic surgical system and the surgeon or surgeons involved in the operation make up the robotic surgery procedure. The surgeon is in charge of making the decision and directing the robot surgical system during the process. According to Dr. Sandeep Nayak, what happens during Robotic Surgery can vary depending on the technique used and the operation’s characteristics. The following, however, is a general explanation of what happens during Robotic Surgery.

Your surgeon will begin by making incisions in your skin. Depending on the surgical site and the reason for the procedure, these incisions are usually one or two centimeters long.

The arms store various necessary equipment during surgery, depending on the robotic surgical system being employed. In addition, one of the arms has a magnifying camera that provides the surgeon with high-resolution views.

Your surgeon is at the console the entire time, and he or she has complete control over what happens throughout the surgery since he or she is controlling the robotic surgical system through the console. It is because the robotic surgical procedure moves in the same way as your surgeon’s hand moves.

The surgeon can scale the movements in newer robotic surgical systems. That is, he or she can set the scale to a two-to-one ratio, meaning the robotic system’s arm will move two inches for every inch the surgeon’s hand moves. It gives you additional options.

The console displays pictures that are exact and enlarged. This allows the surgeon to receive a great image of the entire area in real-time. In addition, the surgeon is presented with real-time 3D images throughout the procedure to have a clear picture of the area being operated on.

Because the robotic surgical system causes the physician the least amount of tiredness, even complex surgeries can be performed efficiently. In addition, the surgeon has complete control over the robotic surgical system’s camera and every arm.

Also, Read This: Reconstructive Surgery

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