The history of robotics can be traced back to the automata of ancient Greece, but it has only been within the last 50 years that machines have been made to mimic human actions in order to perform labor rather than to entertain and amuse. Furthermore, it has been only within the last 20 years that robotic technology has been applied to the practice of surgery. The goal of this technology has not been to replace the surgeon, but rather to enhance his or her performance with highly advanced tools. We present a brief history of some of the key points in the development of surgical robotics and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the various US Food and Drug Administration-approved robotic surgical systems and surgical robots in general.
Laparoscopic ventral hernia repair, a topic of great debate today, has evolved to be a feasible and safe procedure. It has been shown to be as effective as open repair, with a lower recurrence rate. Despite the excellent results of the laparoscopic repair of ventral hernias, numerous controversies are associated with this procedure, such us how to create the pneumoperitoneum, how to perform adhesiolysis, how to manage the hernia sac, the evolution and complications related to postoperative seroma, the type and size of the mesh, and how to insert and fix the mesh. This paper addresses many of these issues and provides data about the advances and limitations associated with laparoscopic ventral hernia repair, together with the description of our results. Also analyzed are future aspects of laparoscopic ventral hernia repair related to prosthetic materials and methods of fixation, especially those regarding bioactive materials and biosurgery.
A potential application of robotic surgical systems is to act as the hands and eyes of a surgeon operating from a considerable distance, enabling the surgeon to offer a variety of surgical services through gaining true telepresence by the interface of the telecommunication link and a surgical robotic system. The limited use of robot-assisted remote telepresence surgery to date has demonstrated not only that this is technologically feasible and safe but also that the patients are willing to accept its limitations when it is used in an environment where significant value from its use is realized. This chapter will discuss some of the lessons learned, the potential future applications, and the necessary next steps for its safe and widespread adoption.
With the challenges that the health sector now faces in accordance with readjustments and demands for increased efficiency, resource utilization, and innovation, we have initiated a project to develop the future operating room for advanced laparoscopic surgery. New hospitals are being built that contain numerous operating room theaters. To share experiences and avoid repeating the same mistakes as others, we find it suitable to build an “experimental” operating room theater where we can try out and study new equipment, logistics, and communications, and operating forms and new technology that both benefit the establishment of our hospital, as well as the establishment of other hospitals and their laparoscopic operating rooms nationally and internationally. The main goals in the project are, through research and development, to reveal information and develop technology and methods to establish more efficient and prospective patient treatment that is focused on quality. The project is deeply rooted in the established research environment in Trondheim, Norway. We will develop new integrated solutions in the laparoscopic operating unit to create a possibility to rapidly implement the results in the form of practical improvements, increased quality, and renovation in patient treatment. The goal is also that this will result in the establishment of new industry nationally.
The enthusiasm for laparoscopic procedures in the field of visceral and colorectal surgery, in particular, has increased. Potential advantages include a reduction in pain as a result of less trauma, improved postoperative immune function, the earlier reestablishment of postoperative intestinal transit, shorter hospitalization, improved cosmesis, and reduced formation of intra-abdominal adhesions. In contrast to treatment for benign conditions, laparoscopic surgery with curative intent for malignancy is still controversial. In particular, compliance with the required criteria of oncologic radicality (extent of lymph node dissection, prevention of intraoperative tumor cell dissemination, assurance of acceptable margins of clearance) and thus, the achievement of long-term results identical with those results obtained after laparotomy, are considerations that have repeatedly been questioned. However, a number of published reports have confirmed that all the criteria for oncologic radicality in colorectal surgery can be met. An additional advantage of laparoscopic abdominoperineal excision is that it avoids a number of general problems associated with laparoscopic colorectal surgery. However, despite this encouraging information, a general recommendation for the use of laparoscopic abdominoperineal excision can be made only when definitive long-term results are available. Against this background, we discuss the questions of oncologic radicality and long-term outcome on the basis of currently available published data and our own results.
The onset of cervicoscopy dates back to the first laparoscopic parathyroidectomy in 1996. This operation, with its several variants, has today become a valid option that is widespread in many centers. Endoscopic or video-assisted thyroidectomy was introduced later, despite the limits imposed by the mass of the gland to be removed. Even though it was indicated for a minority of patients for this reason, both parathyroidectomy and thyroidectomy showed some important advantages with respect to conventional surgery, advantages that were also demonstrated in prospective studies that include a better cosmetic outcome and a less distressful postoperative course. These approaches proved to be safe and feasible in any surgical background, and their complication rate is the same as traditional open neck surgery. The videoscopic access to neck lymph nodes (central and lateral compartments) seems to be very promising, whereas other fields of application such as carotid artery surgery and spine surgery are still being studied experimentally. Cervicoscopy by consequence has to be considered an important surgical tool that can be further improved but which also has an excellent potential.
This paper describes and discusses the surgical steps needed to perform a laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy. The current lack of standardization of the operative technique can account for the limited diffusion of this procedure. The issue of spleen preservation, which cannot be overemphasized, always demands an accurate surgical technique that results from proficiency both in open pancreatic surgery and advanced laparoscopy. The preservation of the splenic vessels or short gastric-vessel salvage is feasible, yet with different indications. Also, the splenic-vessels preservation procedure has two distinct technical options. The technique of occlusion of the pancreatic stump is crucial for reducing the risk of a post-operative fistula and should be tailored to the structural features of the gland at the transection line. Finally, the hand-assisted approach can provide distinctive advantages over the pure laparoscopic technique in selected circumstances.
The main advantages of robot-assisted orthopedic surgery over conventional orthopedic techniques are improved accuracy and precision in the preparation of bone surfaces, more reliable and reproducible outcomes, and greater spatial accuracy. Orthopedic surgery is ideally suited for the application of robotic systems. The ability to isolate and rigidly fix bones in known positions allows robotic devices to be securely fixed to the bone. As such, the bone is treated as a fixed object, simplifying the computer control of the robotic system. Commercially available robotic systems can be categorized as either passive or active devices, or can be categorized as positioning or milling/cutting devices. Computer assisted orthopedic surgery is a related area of technological development in orthopedics; however, robot-assisted orthopedic surgery can achieve levels of accuracy, precision, and safety not capable with computer assisted orthopedic surgery. Applications of robot-assisted orthopedic surgery currently under investigation include total hip and knee replacement, tunnel placement for reconstruction of knee ligaments, and trauma and spinal procedures. Several short-term studies demonstrate the feasibility of robotic applications in orthopedics, however, there are no published long-term data defining the efficacy of robot-assisted orthopedic surgery. Issues of cost, training, and safety must be addressed before robot-assisted orthopedic surgery becomes widely available. Robot-assisted orthopedic surgery is still very much in its infancy but it has the potential to transform the way orthopedic procedures are done in the future.
Transanal endoscopic microsurgery has become an established method of transanally excising rectal tumors. It uses a closed, airtight system that provides constant rectal distension, improved visibility, and longer reach than conventional instrumentation. Virtually any rectal adenoma and properly selected cancers can be removed with this technique. Transanal endoscopic microsurgery excision of cancers requires that strict selection criteria be satisfied and is best suited for T1 cancers. Transanal endoscopic microsurgery should not replace low anterior resection or abdominoperineal resection for those cancers that have either deep penetration into the rectal wall or lymph node metastases. This procedure is safe, is associated with minimal complications, and most patients can be treated on an outpatient basis. Complications include bleeding, urinary retention, temporary soilage, and inadvertent entry into the peritoneal cavity. Once transanal endoscopic microsurgery has been mastered, it may become the technique of choice for locally excising rectal neoplasms.
Many techniques for creating the gastrojejunal anastomosis while performing laparoscopic gastric bypass in obese patients have been described. The stapled anastomoses comprise the circular stapler technique, using either a 21- or a 25-mm anvil, and the linear stapler technique. The handsewn anastomosis, which seems to offer some advantages over the mechanical technique, is being performed with increased frequency. The three techniques are described here and discussed in the light of our own experience.
Medical image processing leads to an improvement in patient care by guiding the surgical gesture. Three-dimensional models of patients that are generated from computed tomographic scans or magnetic resonance imaging allow improved surgical planning and surgical simulation that offers the opportunity for a surgeon to train the surgical gesture before performing it for real. These two preoperative steps can be used intra-operatively because of the development of augmented reality, which consists of superimposing the preoperative three-dimensional model of the patient onto the real intraoperative view. Augmented reality provides the surgeon with a view of the patient in transparency and can also guide the surgeon, thanks to the real-time tracking of surgical tools during the procedure. When adapted to robotic surgery, this tool tracking enables visual servoing with the ability to automatically position and control surgical robotic arms in three dimensions. It is also now possible to filter physiologic movements such as breathing or the heart beat. In the future, by combining augmented reality and robotics, these image-guided robotic systems will enable automation of the surgical procedure, which will be the next revolution in surgery.
Surgery induces alterations in local and systemic immune responses. These changes appear to be associated with an increase in postoperative morbidity. Minimally invasive techniques are considered to improve the preservation of immune function compared with open surgery and may therefore be beneficial for patient recovery. As laparoscopic techniques are increasingly used in abdominal surgery, more research has focussed on the immunologic consequences of these techniques. Nevertheless, the changes that occur in response to trauma are still not completely understood. The immunologic benefits of laparoscopic surgery are the most obvious for minor surgical procedures such as cholecystectomy and antireflux surgery. For more complex procedures such as colorectal surgery for cancer, the benefits are not immediately obvious. Although laparoscopic surgery for colorectal malignancies may be associated with higher survival rates and lower recurrence rates because of improved immune function, it has also been related to high incidences of port-site metastases. Reviews in the literature have now shown that incidences of port-site metastases are comparable to incidences of wound metastases after open surgery. However, it will be necessary to wait for the long-term results of randomized, clinical trials to provide further clarification of how immune function is altered after laparoscopic and open surgery for colorectal cancer.
Technological advances in the modern operating room have pushed neurosurgeons to the limits of their dexterity and stamina. Motion scalers and tremor filters on robots permit unprecedented precision of tool manipulation, upgrading the human hand, and closing the deftness deficit. The evolution of neurosurgical robots from stereotactic systems to hybrid systems capable of both stereotaxy and microsurgery is examined. The future of robot-assisted neurosurgery, including expanded tool sets and the prospect of semi-autonomous surgery, is discussed.
Surgical robotics, the result of the combined efforts of engineers, computer scientists, entrepreneurs, and surgeons, has enabled the surgeon to execute precise technical maneuvers while seated at a remote console. The capability to perform sophisticated surgical operations by means of a robot is today's reality. The combination of laparoscopy and robotics has the potential to enhance operative performance and the outcomes of laparoscopy, and expand the clinical application of laparoscopy while reducing patient morbidity. In this article, we review initial pioneering and laboratory research, early clinical investigations, and current clinical applications of robotics in urologic surgery.
The use of robotics is evolving in cardiac surgery. Robots allow minimally invasive techniques to be applied to ischemic heart and valve disease. Notably, this frees the patient from sternotomy, allowing a quick recovery while preserving the most critical aspects of the surgical procedure. The increasing use of stents for revascularization is significant. For best results to the patient, the graft of the left internal mammary artery (LIMA) to the left anterior descending artery (LAD) is a mainstay of symptom-free survival. Stenting and robotic LIMAto-LAD grafting in a one-staged or two-staged approach may be an attractive combined specialty treatment. This would offer best practices to the patient, along with the best technologies available. In this chapter, the most common techniques in cardiac robotic surgery are outlined. Procedural steps are described, and their expanding indications for use discussed. Additionally, a focus on combining technologies for new treatments is considered.
Laparoscopic splenectomy in cases of splenomegaly has been shown to be feasible in experienced hands, even though the size of the spleen increases the operative time and difficulty. Laparoscopic splenectomy for splenomegaly offers the same advantages as for patients with smaller spleens: a shorter hospital stay and a faster recovery. Recent experience has shown that hand-assisted laparoscopic surgery makes the surgical maneuvers during laparoscopic splenectomy in cases of splenomegaly considerably easier while preserving the advantages of a purely laparoscopic approach. This technique may facilitate and broaden the application of laparoscopy for splenectomy in patients with enlarged spleens.
