Difference between robotic surgery and endoscopic surgery

After the use of robotic surgery in various fields of medicine, the first clinical results about robotic heart surgery were obtained in the 1990s and its use has increased rapidly after the 2000s.

Although robotic surgery is likened to endoscopic surgery, the main difference from endoscopic surgery is that the surgeon operates the robot’s arms remotely by watching it on a monitor.
Robotic surgery method in heart surgeries provides the following possibilities:
Thanks to the three-dimensional cameras that can enlarge the operation area, hard-to-see areas such as bleeding areas can be seen and large blood loss is not experienced.
Since the operation is performed through 3-4 holes of 8 millimeters, people may feel less pain compared to the open operation and the scar on the skin will be smaller.
Small surgical incision and less blood loss allow people to be discharged within 1-2 weeks, and return to normal physical activities becomes easier.
Since the sternum does not need to be cut, the risks of moving the sternum or getting an infection are low.
In which areas is robotic surgery used?

Robotic surgery is used in many medical branches such as gynecology, urology, otolaryngology. Operations take place as follows:

The procedure is performed with general anesthesia.
In order to use the robot, a surgeon and an assistant must be present in the operating room.
Necessary surgical instruments are attached to the arms of the device. The surgeon, on the other hand, sits at the command center called the “console”, which is also located in the operating room. It controls the surgical instruments that enter the body through one or more holes.
Laparoscopy and robotic surgery are not the same thing

Robotic surgery can avoid some of the technical difficulties encountered in laparoscopic (closed method) surgery. In laparoscopy, pipes are inserted into the spaces between the organs through the holes, and a 2-dimensional image is obtained with the tools and camera pushed into these inflated spaces. There is no direct contact with the organ, the incisions are very small, the person loses less blood, heals quickly and there is no trace of surgery. In robotic surgery, the image is obtained in three dimensions and with high resolution. Push-in tools can rotate 540 degrees. Especially in urology and intestinal surgery, robotic surgery gains importance because the organs are lower and deeper. It is aimed to minimize the risk of error with robotic surgery.

Not for use in patients who have had previous surgery

In thyroid surgeries, it is possible to operate under the armpit with robotic surgery for those who are uncomfortable with the scar on the neck. In robotic surgery, an incision is made under the armpit and a tunnel is created under the skin. The robot’s arms are inserted here to create a working area. This method avoids incisions made from one ear to the other in thyroid cancer and neck lymphatic defects. However, robotic surgery cannot be applied to very large goiters, people who have had previous surgery, very advanced cancers and people with a body mass index above 30. Since the muscle is not cut and stretched during the surgery, there is no pain, and the person will be able to go home the next day.

Favorable for gynecological cancer cases

Robotic surgery is a preferred surgical method especially for cancer patients. It allows operations that were previously performed with incisions of 20-25 cm, to be performed through several holes. It shortens the discharge time and can return the person to daily life within a week. Robotic surgery is especially important for cancer, where time is very important in treatment. Because after surgery, it can reduce the healing time of the surgical incision to receive chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

Ovarian cyst surgery

Ovarian cyst surgeries are usually performed laparoscopically through 3 or 4 holes. However, these surgeries can be performed through a single hole, using only the belly button. Robotic technology has been used in recent years because it is difficult to perform the surgery using instruments in a narrow area with standard laparoscopic surgery, that is, it is necessary to use the instrument on the right with the left hand and the instrument on the left with the right hand, and it takes time to adapt. Robotic surgery’s computer program can alleviate technical difficulties.

Is the robot doing the surgery?

The procedure performed in the robotic surgery method is defined as ‘robot-assisted laparoscopy surgery’. In addition to the definitions of ‘open surgery’ and ‘laparoscopic surgery’, it is adopted as a newly developed third surgical method. Contrary to popular belief, a robot does not perform surgery; It is carried out by a team of experts in using the robot.

Today, with the robotic surgery system, many operations can be performed in different surgical branches, especially urology, cardiovascular surgery, general surgery, gynecology and ENT.

Robotic surgery method is also used in myoma surgeries. In these operations, while the uterine fibroid is removed, large cavities occur in the uterine wall, and these cavities and the uterine wall must be closed very well so that they do not affect the future pregnancy of the person. 3D image of robotic surgery