Robotic Assisted Surgery

Traditional Surgery vs. Robotic-Assisted Minimally Invasive Surgery

The past two decades have witnessed a revolutionary transition in surgical technique and technology.

Traditionally, surgeries had been performed in the open manner, in which large incisions were required for the surgeon to plainly observe and manipulate the surgical field.

These incisions inevitably created significant patient trauma—substantial pain and suffering, extended recovery time, prolonged pain management, and elevated costs.

About Robot-Assisted Minimally Invasive Surgery

During the surgery, the surgeon is seated at a console a few feet away from the patient. They view an actual image of the surgical field while operating in real-time through tiny incisions using miniaturized, wristed instruments. At no time does the surgeon see a virtual image or program/command the system to perform any maneuver on its own or outside the surgeon’s direct, real-time control.

These wristed instruments provide seven degrees of freedom, three dimensions, intuitive visualization, and ergonomic comfort.

Robotic-Assisted Surgery Benefits for Surgeons

Some of the major benefits experienced by surgeons using the da Vinci Si Surgical System over traditional approaches have been:

• Greater surgical precision
• Increased range of motion
• Improved dexterity
• Enhanced visualization
• Improved access

Robotic-Assisted Surgery Benefits for Patients

Benefits experienced by patients may include:

• A shorter hospital stay
• Less pain
• Less risk of infection
• Less blood loss
• Fewer transfusions
• Less scarring
• Faster recovery
• A quicker return to normal daily activities

None of these benefits can be guaranteed, as surgery is necessarily both patient- and procedure-specific. Normal surgical complications may occur with surgery. Talk this over with your doctor.

Procedures Using Robot-Assisted MIS

Robotic surgery may be used for a number of different procedures, including:

• Cutting away cancer tissue from sensitive parts of the body such as blood vessels, nerves, or important body organs
• Gallbladder removal
• Hysterectomy
• Kidney removal
• Pyeloplasty (surgery to correct ureteropelvic junction obstruction)
• Pyloroplasty
• Radical prostatectomy
• Tubal ligation
• Hernias: hiatal, abdominal, umbilical and inguinal

Robotic surgery cannot be used for some complex procedures.

If you need to have surgery, consider one of the board-certified General Surgeons of Memorial. Get a referral from your primary care provider and contact the Surgical Services team at (228) 575-1200.

da Vinci Robotic-Assisted Surgery

The da Vinci Surgical System is a robotic surgical system that uses a minimally invasive surgical approach. The system is manufactured by the company Intuitive Surgical. The system is used for prostatectomies, and increasingly for cardiac valve repair, and for renal and gynecologic surgical procedures. 

Stryker Mako® Robotic Arm

Stryker Mako robot-assisted surgery for joint replacement provides the most precise partial knee, total knee, and total hip replacements using the Stryker Mako® Robotic Arm.

Using the robotic arm, our surgeons can plan, personalize and perform these operations with incredible accuracy.

The Stryker Mako® Robotic Arm uses advanced 3D modeling to map the anatomy of your knee and create a detailed individual plan for your operation. It operates within a fraction of a millimeter and the software provides a visual path for our surgeon while using tactile resistance to prevent movement outside of the planned boundaries. This precision preserves bone and tissue, helping to reduce post-operative pain and recovery time.

Zimmer Biomet’s ROSA® Knee System

Zimmer Biomet’s ROSA® Knee System is a robot-assisted surgery designed to improve the outcomes of knee replacement. Unlike traditional knee replacement methods, with ROSA Knee, x-rays are used to create a 3d model of your knee’s anatomy. This model enables our surgeons to plan personalize the specifics of your knee replacement prior to your surgery.

During surgery, data provided by ROSA during assists with complex decision-making and enables our surgeons to use software to control and move surgical instruments. allowing for greater precision and flexibility during procedures, resulting in quicker recovery times.