Medically reviewed by John Valentine, M.D. • The Surgical Clinic
Traditional surgery, also known as “open” surgery, requires an incision long enough for the surgeon to use hand-held instruments. The area being worked on is in the direct vision of the surgeon. This type of surgery has been in practice for several years. The feasibility and application greatly expanded in the mid 1800s with the invention of anesthesia. This type of surgery is performed daily throughout the world for different applications.
When people hear the term “robotic”, they may instantly have a visual image of the robotic equipment used in manufacturing. This type of robotic equipment is computer programed to perform a specific task with great accuracy. The robotic surgical equipment utilizes the same articulating movements; however, the movements are controlled by the surgeon. There is nothing programmed into the equipment.
Robotic surgery is an advanced surgical platform based off of minimally invasive techniques also known as laparoscopic surgery. Laparoscopic surgery has been widely utilized, by multiple surgical specialties, since the late 1900s. This type of surgery utilizes small instruments on rods working through a series of smaller incisions. With this technique the area being worked on is visualized via a fiberoptic camera. Both techniques, robotic and traditional surgery, are performed in the operating room under anesthesia.
There are several reasons your surgeon may recommend a robotic approach for your surgery. With a series of smaller incisions; there tends to be less pain, shorter hospital stays, and a quicker recovery to normal activities. Robotic surgeries also tend to be associated with less blood loss.
From the surgeon’s standpoint, the robotic surgical platform provides a magnified, high definition, 3D image of the operative field. It also provides an adjustable ergonomic console to control the instruments. This console is located only a few feet from the patient within the operating room. From the control console the surgeon can move the camera as well as the instruments. The robotic instruments have articulating joints near the end that provide natural wrist like movements during the procedure. This greatly facilitates suturing
and dissecting the tissue planes. Other specialized instruments are readily available to apply clips, seal blood vessels, and staple tissue.
The traditional or “open” surgical technique may be recommended due to certain factors limiting the feasibility of a minimally invasive/robotic approach. Examples would include a large mass/tumor size, scarring from previous surgery, or an emergent surgical procedure. There are limits to what can be accomplished with the small robotic instruments, and occasionally the surgeon will need to change from a robotic approach to a traditional/open approach during surgery. This change in technique may be required if the anatomy is not clear or to control bleeding. The goal is to provide the safest surgical outcome.
At the surgical clinic, one of our board-certified surgeons will discuss the surgical options with you to provide the best surgical approach for your unique situation. We have multiple surgeons with several years of experience utilizing the robotic surgical platform.
During your consultation, feel free to ask any questions regarding the planned surgical approach and required recovery time.