Da Vinci Robot: what it is, what it is used for and its advantages

• The Da Vinci Robot is the most sophisticated and innovative minimally invasive surgical technique available today.
• Da Vinci Robot surgery in oncology reduces blood loss, hospital stay and the potential risk of complications.
• The minimally invasive technique of the Da Vinci robot facilitates access to the surgical site or organ to be operated on, provides precision to the surgeon and improves patient recovery.

Robotic surgery is a type of minimally invasive intervention that is characterised by the use of the Da Vinci Robot, a machine that minimises the surgeon's movements and allows a precise and magnified view of the area to be operated on.

Below we explain in detail the characteristics that make up this surgical robot as well as the operations for which it is indicated and its benefits.

Structure and functioning of the Da Vinci Robot

The Da Vinci Surgical System is the most sophisticated surgical instrument available today. 

It is a slave robot that obeys the surgeon while increasing the surgeon's ability to operate with precision and dexterity, reducing tremor and providing an exceptionally clear view of the patient's anatomy.

The surgeon operates comfortably seated at a console, manipulating the robot's controls and obtaining a three-dimensional view of the patient's interior.

On the console it is possible to simultaneously visualise the tests that were performed before surgery or the location of the biopsies that were positive. 

This helps the surgeon to better understand the anatomy of a tumour or other abnormality while operating. In addition, the console allows the use of a fluorescence system that helps the surgeon to locate blood vessels, reducing bleeding during operations.

On the other hand, as we mentioned earlier, the surgeon remains seated, which increases his comfort during the operation, avoiding the fatigue that usually affects many specialists who operate standing up in long and complex surgeries.

The console is connected to a powerful computer that is the "brain" of the robot, which projects on a screen what the surgeon is seeing and doing and allows assistants to interact with the surgeon during the operation, drawing or pointing on the screen and transmitting their impressions of the operation to the surgeon.

During surgery, when the patient is already anaesthetised and access ports have been placed through small incisions previously made in the skin, the robot is attached to these ports and the surgical instruments placed on the robotic arms are inserted.

The robotic instruments obey the surgeon's hands, giving him or her great freedom of movement, improving the quality of movement, reducing tremor and increasing precision. 

The surgeon visualises the inside of the patient in three dimensions, as if he were inside the body, thanks to a high-definition stereoscopic visualisation system that allows the image to be enlarged in order to visualise the microscopic anatomy when necessary.

The surgeon experiences a sense of immersion in the surgical procedure and comes to identify with the robot and feel that his or her ability to operate is enhanced.

What is the difference between traditional surgery and the Da Vinci Surgical System?

Keep in mind that during traditional open surgery, the surgeon usually makes a long incision that must also be enlarged in order to access the area to be operated on. 

On the other hand, during laparoscopic surgery, also called minimally invasive surgery, the specialist operates with rigid instruments and manually, which must be passed through small incisions, and must observe the area to be operated on through a standard two-dimensional video monitor.

Unlike conventional techniques, the Da Vinci robotic system allows the surgeon to perform incisions and movements with millimetre precision thanks to the ability to mechanically and digitally amplify the specialist's movements, completely avoiding hand tremor, especially in surgeries that require precision and delicacy.

As you have seen, the robotic system basically performs the surgical manoeuvres with greater accuracy, reducing the time needed to complete the intervention, minimally invading the body and body structures and, of course, further increasing the guarantees of the treatment.

Below you can find out more about the applications of the Da Vinci Robot. In the following section we explain the most common operations for which the use of this surgical system is recommended, although you should know that it is possible to perform any type of surgery with the Da Vinci Robot.

As we mentioned, the Da Vinci robotic system can be used to perform any type of surgery, but due to the high cost of using the robot, specialists tend to recommend it for more complex surgeries or in those cases where precision is the key factor to ensure the success of the treatment. 

Therefore, the most common surgical interventions are:

Prostatectomy

Prostatectomy is the procedure performed to surgically remove the prostate gland and the lymph nodes surrounding it. The prostate gland is located in the pelvis of men, below the urinary bladder, surrounding the urethra, which carries urine from the bladder to the penis.

Although prostate removal surgery can be performed laparoscopically or as an open procedure, since the introduction of the robotic system the success rate has increased dramatically and the likelihood of complications has decreased.

During a Da Vinci Robot-assisted radical prostatectomy, the surgeon makes several very small incisions in the lower abdomen to remove the prostate, reducing bleeding, postoperative length and eliminating other intraoperative complications.

If you have been diagnosed with prostate cancer and you are looking for the solution with the best chances of success, do not hesitate to request a free surgical assessment consultation with us.

You can click on the following image to make an appointment with our specialists:

Nephrectomy

A nephrectomy is a surgical procedure in which all or part of a kidney is removed. This type of procedure is usually performed to treat kidney cancer or to remove a benign tumour.

As in the surgical treatment of other pathologies that can be performed by conventional techniques (open or laparoscopic surgery), it is also possible to use the Da Vinci Robot to remove the damaged kidney or part of it.

During a nephrectomy with Da Vinci Robot, the surgeon makes small incisions by controlling the robotic arms through the control console and works inside the body with the help of the camera and the small instruments adapted to the robot.

Hysterectomy

Hysterectomy is the surgical procedure in which the uterus is removed, called a partial hysterectomy, or both the uterus and cervix, which we refer to as a total hysterectomy. This robotic-assisted surgical treatment with the Da Vinci robotic system is performed to treat a variety of conditions, such as uterine fibroids, uterine prolapse, abnormal vaginal bleeding, cancer of the uterus, cervix or ovaries, as well as endometriosis.

Generally, robotic surgery with the Da Vinci Robot is fully indicated to treat the various pathologies described above, however, specialists recommend it, above all, in cases where it is not convenient to perform a vaginal hysterectomy if the clinical history presents risks. In addition, it is usually the best option if you have surgical scars or anatomical irregularities that limit the other options.

In colonic, colorectal and rectal disease

It is necessary to resort to variants of colectomy, removal of the colon or rectum, to solve the various conditions that can limit the quality of life of patients, diseases such as, for example, uncontrollable bleeding, intestinal obstruction, colon cancer, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis or diverticulitis.

There are several types of surgery that treat diseases that affect the colon, rectum or both at the same time:

• Total colectomy: this is the removal of the entire colon.
• Partial colectomy: this is the removal of part of the colon, also known as subtotal colectomy.
• Hemicolectomy: involves the removal of either the right or left side of the colon.
• Proctocolectomy: involves the removal of the entire colon and rectum.

All of them can be performed with conventional techniques, such as open surgery or minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery. But as we have already mentioned, the surgical procedure with the robotic system allows the removal procedure to be carried out and the remaining parts of the digestive system to be reconnected, in order to resume proper functioning and allow the expulsion of waste from the body, with greater precision and guarantees of success.

Are you looking for the best solution to solve your colorectal condition? You can now request a free surgical assessment consultation by clicking on the image below:

Other interventions

Although less common, medical application is also recommended in cardiothoracic interventions, including the use of the Da Vinci Robot for:

• Coronary artery bypass: this involves connecting the heart to other conduits (the patient's own arteries or veins) that supply it with all the blood it needs to contract with sufficient force.
• Mitral repair: this is mitral valve surgery, during which the mitral valve of the heart is repaired or replaced. The mitral valve is the valve between the heart's ventricles that keeps blood flowing forward through the heart.
• Atrial septal defect: this is a hole in the wall between the two upper chambers of the heart, the atria. This condition is present at birth and is congenital, and although in most cases it resolves on its own or never causes problems, it can also cause problematic symptoms and surgery is performed. During surgery, the hole is sealed and the problem is eliminated.
• Tricuspid valve repair: The tricuspid valve separates the two upper chambers of the heart from the lower chambers. When this valve is affected by an abnormality or disease, there is a risk that blood will not flow properly through the heart and health will worsen. To prevent further complications, the valve can be repaired or replaced.
• Mediastinum and lung surgery: The mediastinum is located between the lungs and is the part of the chest that contains the heart, oesophagus and trachea. It is possible for tumours to develop in this area due to various factors whether congenital or due to previous underlying causes, therefore surgery is required to remove the abnormal masses present in the area.

As you have been able to see, the Da Vinci Robot can perform a wide variety of surgical treatments, in different areas of action as well as to solve pathologies of different degrees of complexity. We invite you to read on to find out more about the different advantages of the robotic system.

The Da Vinci Robot offers countless benefits for both the patient and the surgeon. Below, we explain in detail what these advantages are so that you can understand exactly what the robotic system applied to medicine consists of and the surgical advances that make it possible to approach interventions, minimising the risks that may arise during surgery as well as after surgery.

The Da Vinci robotic system stands out for numerous technological aspects that make robotic surgery a safer and more precise procedure. These aspects include the following:

Safety

The Da Vinci Robot stands out for having multiple redundant safety systems, that is to say, that prevent any type of error in its own mechanism as well as any strange or inadequate movement by the surgeon. Likewise, the most remarkable aspect of the system is that the mechanism cannot be programmed, it cannot make its own decisions or carry out movements on its own. It is the surgeon who directs each of the surgical gestures of the robotic arms.

In addition, the system performs millions of checks and safety checks per minute to ensure that the machine is operating correctly. This fail-safe system means that in the event of a power failure or detection of a problem, the system safely shuts down and leaves control of the procedure in the hands of the surgeon.

High precision in every surgical movement

The robotic arms have different high-precision surgical instruments attached to their ends that can be interchanged. The miniature instruments simulate the movements of the human hand and function like wrists. 

Thanks to their composition, the instruments achieve a large degree of freedom, far exceeding that of the surgeon's hand, and have an enormous capacity for movements such as full rotation or reversal of direction, for superhuman dexterity.

Likewise, each surgical instrument has its own function, i.e. suturing, cutting, dissecting, coagulating, extracting, etc. As we said, the instruments can be easily interchanged depending on the phase of the intervention and the surgeon can control the amount of force applied by the instruments, from a few grams to forces of more than a kilogram, treating each structure with the delicacy or firmness it requires.

The instruments are controlled by the surgeon from the console, in which he uses his hands and fingers, in a natural way as in any surgical act. The system transfers the movements made to the robotic arms and instruments and performs the movements in a scaled manner, i.e. a movement of about 5 cm translates into a movement of only 1 cm in the surgical field (area to be operated on), which allows a precision that is almost impossible to achieve with laparoscopic surgery or open surgery.

High-definition 3D vision

One of the key features of the Da Vinci Robot is the vision system integrated into the console, whereby the surgeon has a three-dimensional, high-definition view, captured by a special camera (binocular endoscope). The specialist observes in real time, with a far-near sensation and without the need for special accessories or glasses.

Another interesting fact to note about this technology is that, to achieve this high-definition, three-dimensional vision, the processor captures and reproduces more than a thousand images per second, which are filtered by the video processor, eliminating noise from the image and showing even the smallest, well-defined detail.

Are there other benefits of robotic surgery with the Da Vinci system? Yes, there are particular advantages for both the patient and the specialist. Read on, we list the most relevant aspects that benefit both parties:

For the patient

• Reduced postoperative complications
• Reduced postoperative pain
• Less bleeding
• Less scarring
• Shorter hospital stay
• Faster return to daily life

All this is possible because the Da Vinci surgical system optimises the range of action of the human hand, reducing possible tremor and perfecting all the movements of the surgeon, who benefits from a high-definition 3D view through the control console.

For the surgeon

• Better vision
• Better control
• Gain surgical access to technically very difficult areas
• Improved dexterity
• Better ergonomics

As we have been insisting, the Da Vinci Robot does not operate autonomously but responds to the decisions and movements of the surgeon, who, thanks to the robot's tools, can overcome the limitations of open and laparoscopic surgery, enhancing vision, precision and control of his skills.

As with any surgical treatment, robotic surgery with the Da Vinci system can also present some complications or risks. However, as we mentioned, thanks to the precision, technological advances of the robot and, of course, the minimal invasion of the patient during surgery, the risks and complications during surgery with a Da Vinci Robot are much less likely to occur; so much so that experts claim that the chances are practically halved.

However, you should be aware of the complications that can occur during or after surgery, whether conventional (open or laparoscopic surgery) or robotic. The most common risks are:

• Intraoperative or postoperative bleeding.
• Infection of the surgical site or incisions.
• Adverse reactions to medication or anaesthesia.
• Respiratory problems

Although you can imagine by now, any of these problems are solved by the expert hands of the professionals in charge of performing the surgery as well as by the staff that attends and cares for you during your hospital stay and/or recovery at home. Thus, there is nothing to worry about, setbacks can only make your recovery a little longer.

Are you thinking of using the Da Vinci Robot to solve your health problem? You can click on the following image to consult our patient service team about the services we offer and whether they are suitable for your case:

Contact with Operarme’s patient service team

Currently, at Operarme we collaborate with different hospitals that provide comprehensive medical care in all medical specialties.

These private hospitals are committed to cutting-edge, state-of-the-art medical technology, highlighting the option of carrying out surgical interventions using robotic surgery with the Da Vinci Robot.

Below, you can find detailed information about robotic surgery through Operarme by clicking on the following link:

Prostate Cancer Surgery with Da Vinci Robot (Radical Prostatectomy)

Do you have any questions about robotic surgery or about how Operarme works? You can solve your questions by calling at +34 91 141 33 56, or through the contact form, our patient service team will help you solve these questions.

Remember that we have a wide range of specialists who can help you improve your quality of life, and our team will remain at your side to guide you and manage everything you need for the process.