Robots in surgery

Written by: Amina Merikhan

Advances in cutting-edge technology inevitably lead to improvements and advances in the surgical world. In this article, we will cover the role of robots in surgery, robotic-assisted surgery and an example of the most ‘robot controlled’ surgery performed.

1. What is the robot’s role in the surgery?

Most of the time, the robots used are not autonomous, meaning they do not ‘think’ on their own and operate under a surgeon’s control. The Robotic Surgical System allows the surgeon to perform more precise and meticulous motions while controlling the robot. It is as if the surgeon is the ‘brain’ and the robot is the ‘hand’.

2. How does the Robotic Surgical System work?

First, the surgeon makes minimally invasive incisions (simply smaller incisions, that cause reduced scarring and risk of infection) and inserts miniaturized instruments and a high-definition three-dimensional camera. There are cases when the incisions are not even necessary at all! Then the surgeon sits in a console nearby and manipulates the instruments in order to perform the surgery. The robot translates the surgeon’s movements to the instruments that mimic the movements exactly, just inside the body.

This is how it looks inside:

3. What are the benefits of robotic-assisted surgery?

• The surgeon has a greater range of motion, because they are in a space specifically designed for that, with nothing to restrict movement.

• They see a highly-magnified and high-resolution image of the operating field, which reduces the risk of surgical errors and improves their performance.

• The hospital stay for the patient is shorter because incisions are very small and take less time to heal.

• For the same reason, there is less blood loss and pain.

4. What conditions can be treated with robotic-assisted surgery?

Colorectal, general, gynecologic, heart, transoral, thoracic and urologic surgeries, as well as treating endometriosis.

5. What is the most robot-controlled surgery ever performed?

A team of researchers in Johns Hopkins University designed the Smart Tissue Autonomous Robot (STAR). It is the first robot to perform laparoscopic surgery on four pigs with no human involvement. Senior author and assistant professor of mechanical engineering at Johns Hopkins’ Whiting School of Engineering says: ‘Our findings show that we can automate one of the most intricate and delicate tasks in surgery: the reconnection of two ends of an intestine. The STAR performed the procedure in four animals and it produced significantly better results than humans performing the same procedure’. The STAR planned, adapted and executed the surgery all by itself, and this is what makes it such a phenomenal breakthrough for robotic surgery.