Let DaVinci be your surgeon!

Ever since we invented the wheel, we have not looked back. We have lived up to the tag of the most intelligent species and have made the world we live in, more user-friendly, atleast for us. Think of the gadgets around us – the coffee maker for the mornings, the microwave for a quick breakfast, cars for zooming across great distances, laptops for surfing the world (wide web), and the list just goes on. But have we realized that they have taken a toll on our health?

Yes we have, and that is why we are also making great advances in the field of medical technology; perhaps to save us from excesses caused by our other advancements, such as the microwave.

Imagine: You are in the operation theatre, and as you lie there expecting the surgeon, four robotic arms suddenly appear in his place! This is not a dream; this is what robotic surgery is all about. The da Vinci Surgical System was introduced by Intuitive Surgical in 1999, and has since then become a sensation in the field of robotic surgery.

With its introduction in India, it has raised the bar of medical technology, especially at a time when India is increasingly becoming the hub for medical tourism. Dr. Nikhil Shah, renowned robotic urologist at Fortis International Centre for Robotic Surgery (ICRS) says, “Smart phones, wireless and other computer innovations are leading the way in technology. Similarly, in the world of surgery, robotics is spreading like wildfire.”

The da Vinci robot (used for the surgery) is imported from Intuitive Surgical (USA) which is its only manufacturer. Dr. Mangesh Patil, an assistant robotic urosurgeon at the Asian Vattikuti (Mumbai), describes the model, stating that it comprises of 3 parts – surgeon console, patient-side cart and the 3-D vision system.

Dr. Sabhyata Gupta (Medanta, Gurgaon), the first gynecologist in India to perform robotic surgery for cancerous and non-cancerous gynecological conditions, says that robotic surgery is superior to laparoscopic surgery as the former gives you a three-dimensional vision which increases precision and reduces room for error.

Which brings us to the questions: What are the benefits of robotic surgery? Are they reliable? The surgeons respond :

1. The surgeons get 3-D vision during the surgery, which provides depth perception.
2. There is increased accuracy as the instruments have precise mobility.
3. It has very good suturing abilities.
4. The surgeons can perform numerous surgeries per day as the procedure is comfortable and stress-free, increasing the productivity of the surgeons as well.
5. Hospital stay is shorter.
6. The complications are almost zero – no blood loss and less risk of infection.

So, as long as you can afford the procedure, the robotic arms will take better care of you than any pair of human hands. Of course, you have all the risks related to surgery, but if you have to choose between manual, laparoscopic and robotic surgery, robotic is the way to go.

Furthermore, robotic surgery is a minimally invasive procedure which means that even though robots are doing all the work, they won’t make a wound larger than the size of a coin.

That day may not be too far when you can have your surgery done with the press of a button, with no humans around. Humans made machines, and now machines are making humans better. Just wait till nano surgery comes into the picture!