Upon hearing the word “surgery,” people often envision traditional open surgery, when a surgeon operates with handheld instruments through a large incision. However, robotic surgery offers a much less invasive laparoscopic option that offers many benefits for patients and surgeons.
At Austin Surgeons, we perform robotic surgery, also called robot-assisted surgery, using the da Vinci system. This system includes a camera and surgical instruments mounted on four robotic arms.
During robotic surgery, the surgeon performs the entire procedure, controlling every action and motion. A computer console near the operating table transmits the surgeon’s hand, wrist and finger movements to the instruments attached to the robot’s arms. The arms mimic the surgeon’s movements while the surgical team supervises the procedure at the patient’s bedside.
The da Vinci system was approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use in the United States in 2000. To date, 2,200 hospitals across 50 states use robotic technology.
Better for Patients
One of the many benefits robotic surgery offers patients is that it is easier to remove abnormalities without affecting nearby healthy, sensitive organs, tissues and nerves. This is because the instruments used to perform robotic surgery are much smaller and more flexible than those used in conventional surgery.
Robotic surgery requires only small incisions, rather than the large incisions used in traditional open surgery. This results in significantly less pain; a much lower risk of infection and blood loss; minimized scarring; and quicker recovery time.
In comparison to conventional surgery cases, robotic surgery patients often leave the hospital earlier and experience better clinical outcomes.
Better for Surgeons
The technology used in robotic surgery extends the capabilities of each surgeon’s eyes and hands, offering more precision, flexibility and control than conventional techniques.
The console gives the surgeon a 3D, high-definition view of the operative field magnification capabilities. This detailed perspective enables us to see every detail resulting in more precise surgery.
The tiny instruments used in robotic surgery move like human hands but with a greater range of motion and, thanks to built-in tremor filtration technology, with smoother precision. The arms are able to rotate 360 degrees, allowing surgeons to operate in ways that were previously impossible. The technology enables us to reach difficult to access anatomy in a minimally invasive fashion.
Austin Surgeons’ Robotic Surgery
At Austin Surgeons, we have the experience and skill you are seeking to perform larger, more complex operations through smaller incisions with robotic-assisted surgery. We use the advanced da Vinci platform to provide:
- Colon resection for colon cancer and diverticulosis
- Anti-reflux surgery and repair of hiatal hernias
- Heller myotomy for achalasia
- Repair of abdominal and inguinal hernias
- Stomach surgery
- Adrenalectomy
- Splenectomy
- Mesenteric lymph node biopsy
- Gallbladder surgery
For more information about robotic surgery, visit austinsurgeons.net or call (512) 467-7151.
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