One of the latest operative techniques in minimally invasive colon or rectal surgery is robotic-assisted surgery. Colon cancer is one of the leading causes for death in the United States. Robotic colorectal surgery, using da Vinci surgical robotic system, allows for the benefit of minimally invasive surgery along with the fine precision, 3-D vision, and magnified view afforded only by a robotic machine. In fact, the use of robotic colorectal surgery has increased in the recent years. Your doctor controls the da Vinci surgical system, which translates his or her hand movements into smaller, more precise movements of tiny instruments inside your body. With its state-of-the-art technology, the system gives positive outcomes to the patients. However, the system has gained a lot of complaints of side effects due to the use of da Vinci surgical system. To learn more about some of the complaints, you can refer at davinci-lawsuit.org.
Advantages:
Learn from this article some of the benefits of robotic colorectal surgery that have made it popular among colon cancer patients:
- The main advantage of robotic colorectal surgery is the avoidance of large-sized incision.
- Only five quarter-inch incisions are made during robotic surgery.
- Less blood are lost during surgery.
- Significantly less pain felt after surgery.
- Less scarring due to small-sized incisions.
- Shorter hospital stays
- Speedy recovery and return to normal activities
There are fewer risks, less-postoperative pain, quicker recovery, and less blood loss and scarring. But sometimes we have to convert to open surgery midway through the operation and make a large cut in the patient’s stomach to get to the cancer, if we find it is too hard to reach with the keyhole instruments. This can lengthen operating time considerably, which raises risks.
As with any surgery, these benefits cannot be guaranteed, as surgery is both patient- and procedure-specific. While robotic-assisted lobectomy is considered safe and effective, it may not be appropriate for every individual. Always ask your doctor about all treatment options, as well as their risks and benefits.
References:
- cpmc.org/services/surgery/robotic/conditions/colon-cancer.html
- robotic-surgery.med.nyu.edu/for-patients/our-departments/general-surgery/conditions/colorectal-cancer
- muh.org.au/servicesspecialties/roboticsurgeryprogram/typesofsurgery/colorectalsurgery.aspx
Rita's da Vinci Lawsuits Blog 