Surgeons Perform First Robot-Assisted Procedures In Weight Loss, Colon And Gastric Fields

With a rise in gastric bypass surgeries, the scientific and the medical communities were trying to find a better way to perform surgeries with precision and accuracy. Surgeons from UT Southwestern Medical Center were the first in north Texas to perform such a surgery, using a four armed robot called DaVinci. This robot is controled by the surgeons through a joystick and can easily access some of the more inaccesible places such as the abdomen and the gastorintestinal areas. These Laparoscopic surgeries are done through tiny holes rather than the traditional open incision. This allows for a faster recovery time with the least post operative pain. Through these holes DaVinci offers high resolution imaging that allows the surgeons to see depth measurements while being easily maneuverable since it is easier to control than the traditional laparoscopic cameras. The incorporation of robots like DaVinci is not far from the future since the need for GI bypass is on the rise.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=57623

I found this article very interesting because although we often hear about surgeries done through use of robots, we never hear about the future use of the robots or their incorporation in the medical system. I think that through such great precision that the robot gives it is less straineous on the surgeons and the patients.