Patient education: Robot-assisted surgery (The Basics)

What is robot-assisted surgery? — This is a type of surgery. It is more precise and causes less tissue injury than "open" surgery. In many cases, this makes it easier and faster for people to recover.

In open surgery, doctors make 1 large cut, or "incision," in the skin. This lets them see directly into the body. Robot-assisted surgery is a type of "minimally invasive" surgery. With minimally invasive surgery, instead of making 1 large incision, doctors make 1 or a few smaller incisions. Then, they use special tools to see and work inside the body.

With robot-assisted surgery, the doctor uses a special type of robot. The robot helps to move and position the surgical instruments (figure 1). The doctor sits at a computer nearby to guide the very precise movements of the robot.

What types of surgeries can be robot assisted? — Robot-assisted surgery is used in many kinds of procedures. It can be used for surgery in the chest, belly, pelvis, and joints. Some surgeries to treat cancer can also be done with robot assistance.

Are there benefits to robot-assisted surgery? — Compared with open surgery (with a large incision), robot-assisted surgery can offer:

●Faster healing time

●Smaller scars

●Less blood loss

●A shorter hospital stay after surgery

How is robot-assisted surgery done? — It depends on the type of surgery. For many types of robot-assisted surgery:

●The doctor makes several small incisions in the skin.

●In some cases, the doctor puts gas or fluid in the area. This helps to open up the space so there is more room to work.

●The doctor places a "scope" into 1 of the incisions and surgical tools into other incisions. A scope is a long, flexible tube with a tiny camera and a light on the end. It lets the doctor see inside the body. The camera sends pictures to a screen that the doctor can see.

●The other surgical tools are joined to 1 of the robotic arms. This lets the robot grasp, cut, and sew.

●The doctor sits at a computer so they can see the pictures on the screen. They use a joystick-like hand control and foot pedals. This helps guide the tools for the robot. Another doctor stays near you to move the tools as needed.

●After the procedure, the tools are removed. The doctor closes your incisions and covers them with clean bandages.

What else should I know? — Sometimes, doctors need to switch to open surgery after a robot-assisted surgery has been started. For example, this might happen if they find something unexpected or need to use a different approach to keep you safe during your surgery.

More on this topic

Patient education: Minimally invasive surgery (The Basics)