Robotics in Surgery

For most people, surgery can be an intimidating experience filled with uncertainty and risks. However, with the implementation of artificial intelligence and robotics in surgery, procedures have become safer and less painful for both patients and surgeons. Robotic surgery has been able to transform the field of surgery in recent years and perform operations with groundbreaking levels of precision and accuracy.

Origins of Robotic Surgery

The introduction of the da Vinci system in the year 2000 was able to revolutionize robot-assisted surgeries, allowing surgeries to become more precise and safe. The da Vinci System consists of three parts that help surgeons visualize the site of surgeries more accurately. The surgeon sits at the surgeon console to control the parts of the Da Vinci system and perform surgery with wristed instruments that have greater accessibility than human hands. The patient cart holds the robotic arms and surgical tools, which mimic the movements of the surgeon. Finally, the vision system provides a three-dimensional view of the site and permits communication between the surgeon console and patient-side cart.

The concept of the Da Vinci system offers various benefits over simple surgery and allows a minimally-invasive surgery. Robotic arms eliminate the shakiness of human hands and can perform finer incisions. This reduces postoperative pain, minimizes scarring, decreases risk of infection, and shortens recovery time. However, the da Vinci system doesn’t just alleviate stress for patients. Robotic surgery also lessens the tension of surgeons by minimizing physical strain, offering details of surgery sites that may be missed in traditional surgery, and helping them maintain their focus.

Limitations to the Da Vinci System

Although the da Vinci system has been able to transform the process of surgery, there are still many challenges that have been identified, such as

• High costs-the system’s price ranges from $1.5-$3 million and replacing instruments adds to the costs

• Dependence on Technology- surgeries can be negatively affected by power outages, glitches, or malfunctions, which can force a switch to manual surgery

• Training time-surgeons require extensive practice to learn the functions of the system, limiting widespread adoption

• Limited Accessibility-the high costs of the da Vinci system makes it difficult for smaller hospitals and underprivileged areas to afford

Emerging Methods 

As technology advances, scientists are finding ways to address these challenges and make robotic surgery available for all types of patients. With the rise of artificial intelligence and augmented reality, technology is able to provide valuable insights to surgeons, such as visualizations of anatomical structures and risks, and predictions of surgical outcomes. 

To deal with the issues of postoperative recovery, single-port robotic surgery has been designed to perform surgery with a single incision to reduce scarring for patients and make recovery easier. Next-generation robots are also becoming smaller and more flexible to perform natural orifice surgery, which eliminates the need for external incisions.

Works Cited

Cleveland Clinic. “Robotic Surgery: Robot-Assisted Surgery, Advantages, Disadvantages.” Cleveland Clinic, 30 Apr. 2024, my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/22178-robotic-surgery.

Mayo Clinic. “Robotic Surgery - Mayo Clinic.” Mayoclinic.org, Mayo Clinic, 6 May 2022, www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/robotic-surgery/about/pac-20394974.

McCartney, Jim. “Robotic Surgery Is Here to Stay—and so Are Surgeons.” American College of Surgeons, 10 May 2023, www.facs.org/for-medical-professionals/news-publications/news-and-articles/bulletin/2023/may-2023-volume-108-issue-5/robotic-surgery-is-here-to-stay-and-so-are-surgeons/.

Reddy, Kavyanjali, et al. “Advancements in Robotic Surgery: A Comprehensive Overview of Current Utilizations and Upcoming Frontiers.” Cureus, vol. 15, no. 12, 12 Dec. 2023, www.cureus.com/articles/191019-advancements-in-robotic-surgery-a-comprehensive-overview-of-current-utilizations-and-upcoming-frontiers#, https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.50415.

Team, Vanderbilt Engineering Graduate Admissions. “The Future of Robotic Surgery: 3 Trends to Look For.” Blog.engineering.vanderbilt.edu, 9 Nov. 2023, blog.engineering.vanderbilt.edu/the-future-of-robotic-surgery-3-trends-to-look-for.