Robotic Surgery In Medical Surgery

Introduction

Surgery has evolved drastically over time, from the beginning when our ancestors made surgical hand tools to set broken bones and drain abscesses, to the present when surgeons use robots to fix heart valves. Robotic surgery, or “computer-assisted surgery,” was conceived because of the technological limitations of laparoscopic and open surgical approaches and the need to perform surgery in a superior way (De Wilde & Herrmann, 2013). We as humans are more exposed to unhealthy lifestyles and products that lead to a significant increase in the necessity for surgical interventions over time. For example, cholecystectomy, or surgical removal of the gallbladder, increased by 30% in the United States within a 10-year period (1996–2006) and today is predominantly performed laparoscopically or robotically (Sebelius et al, 2009).

As the demand for surgical intervention increases, so does the market for surgical technologies that provide patients with minimally invasive procedures that produce better patient outcomes. Robotic surgery is the next advancement in surgical technology that can provide patients that care they seek. The purpose of this paper is to discuss robotic surgery, specifically the da Vinci robotic system’s positive and negative aspects in relation to patient care and the needs of an organization. This paper will also discuss the da Vinci robotic system from my experience and perspective as an operating room nurse.

Background

“A surgical robot is a self-powered, computer-controlled device that can be programmed to aid in the positioning and manipulation of surgical instruments, enabling the surgeon to carry out more complex tasks” (Morris, 2005). The first recognized robot-assisted surgery was a neurosurgical b...

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... take much longer, skin to skin, than laparoscopic cases, depending on the procedure, and leave patients exposed to anesthesia and the surgical environment for an extended time period.

In my experience, I have found the robot very helpful during difficult cases where access to certain body parts would be limited with the laparoscopic approach. In a typical case with no comorbidities that could affect surgery, the need for robotic surgery is limited, especially when a case takes longer to set up than to perform. Further studies are needed to evaluate the cost effectiveness of robotic surgery compared to the actual need for this type of procedure. Which is more important—that patients receive the type of surgery (open versus laparoscopic versus robotic) that they really need or that they receive the type of surgery that is currently trending in the realm of surgery?