In the Edition...............

In this Edition…………………………..

A US commentary highlights the benefits of robotic surgery: The Medstar Story – Surgeon and Patients Benefits.

The commentary highlighted that robotic surgery offers many benefits to both patients and surgeons. For the patient, the benefits include: more precise surgery, significantly less pain, less risk of infection and blood loss, earlier discharge from the hospital, less scarring and shorter recovery. On the other hand, the benefits for the surgeon include: an enhanced visual field, superior dexterity and access to hard-to-reach places. See pages 8 to 9.

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An Indian commentary on the disadvantages of Da Vinci Robotic Surgery.

This commentary expressed that Da Vinci Robotic Surgical system is becoming the most popular way of doing surgery for the modern day surgeons. In the present days, we see that this system is put to use in many of the surgical situations for performing abdominal procedures, hysterectomies, lung operations etc. However, it is very common to see that the system malfunctions and causes unnecessary and dangerous wounds to the patients. See pages 10 to 11.

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A UK article assessed four advantages of robotic surgery.

In the last decade, surgical robots have literally transformed the way doctors operate and how quickly patients recover. Although robotic-assisted surgery might not be something you’ve thought about before, there are many good reasons to talk to your doctor about robotic surgery options if you need a medical procedure. The advantages include: minimally invasive in nature, patient recover more quickly, less pain and blood loss and a smaller chance of infection. See pages See pages 23 to 24.

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A UK surgical commentary analysed the practicalities of telesurgery.

It was revealed that telesurgery is an emerging surgical system that utilizes wireless networking and robotic technology to connect surgeons and patients who are distantly located from one another. Some of the potential applications of telesurgery include: training new surgeons assisting and training surgeons in developing countries, treating injured soldiers on or near the battlefield, performing surgical procedures in space. See pages 40 to 41.

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A US surgical review on the past, present and future of telesurgery.

The use of telesurgery overcomes today’s shortage of surgeons, geographical inaccessibility of immediate and high-quality surgical care, significant financial burden, potential complications, and long-distance travel. This technology not only benefits the patients but also provides technical accuracy and ensures the safety of surgeons. See pages 37 to 39.

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A UK surgical review on the evaluation of trends and issues in telesurgery.

Telesurgery or remote surgical approaches are surgical procedures carried out at a distance thanks to advances in robotic and computer technology and their applications to surgery.  However some practical trends and issues, including limitations of the tele surgical techniques were identified in this article with future developmental needs. See pages 33 to 36.

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A US commentary on the advantages and disadvantages of daVinci Prostatectomy.

Since this is a minimally invasive procedure, there is relatively less pain and faster recovery compared to open surgery.  Furthermore, the 3-D imaging and the Endowrist technology makes the surgery more accurate and precise than open or standard non-robotic laparoscopic prostate surgery.  This results in higher chance for cancer cure, more precise dissection of nerve bundles and preservation of erectile function. On the other hand, this procedure is highly technical.  Most physicians performing prostate surgery have not been trained in this procedure.  Therefore, it is not available at all locations, requiring the patient to travel to an experienced surgeon and robotic surgery centre. See pages 19 to 20.

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A US commentary addressed the question; does robotic telesurgery have a future?

Although the idea of telesurgery — performing specialized procedures with robot-assisted surgical tools from a remote location — dates back to the very first research into medical robotics, the technology has yet to make a significant commercial impact. Robotic surgery is one of the hottest fields in medtech, as a raft of new entrants expand the possibilities for minimally invasive surgery. But thus far, commercialized systems are operated in a same-room cockpit or nearby control room. Is a remote solution viable? Opinions vary, but experts agree on one thing – the hurdles are daunting. See pages 12 to 16.

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A US commentary addressed the question; is it the dawning of the age of artificial intelligence in medicine?

There is no doubt that artificial intelligence (AI) holds great promise in medicine. Machine learning and deep learning, sub-fields of AI, are of particular interest. In areas such as pathology and radiology, pattern recognition is the basis for making a diagnosis. As can be seen in the studies within this commentary, machines are exceptional at recognizing ever more complicated patterns, at a complexity that has only been possible by humans up until now. Furthermore, machines are of course faster and more consistent, without work hour rules, overtime costs, or costly benefits. Machines never get tired, distracted, emotional, or careless. See pages 15 to 16.

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A US commentary addresses that robot-assisted surgery could make major operation easier, safer and easier to recover from.

People tend to think about autonomous robots when they think of surgical robots. That is not at all what a surgical robot is. A surgical robot is an extension of the surgeon. It allows the surgeon to see inside the body and to manipulate inside the body. The da Vinci system, while not without its detractors, points to a future in which surgery is safer, more precise, and less disruptive to a patient’s life. See pages 17 to 18.

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A UK surgical review on the historical perspectives and characteristics of robotic surgery.

Over the past decade, there has been an exponential growth of robot-assisted procedures and of publications concerning robotic-assisted laparoscopic surgery. From a review of the available literature, it appears that this technology is safe and allows more complex procedures in many fields of surgery to be performed, be it at relatively high costs. See pages 27 to 27.

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A UK surgical review explores expert surgeon opinions on using robotic surgical technology in improving quality of life and saving the lives of patients.

It was noted that the benefits of robotic surgery include a faster return to daily activities; fewer complications; shorter hospital stays; reduced hospitalisation costs; reduced trauma; significantly less pain; and less scarring. However, it would also be beneficial to analyse the disadvantages and demerits of the robotic surgery techniques, which will provide information that will be available for patients and their families in making informed decisions about opting for the robotic surgery technique. See pages 28 to 32.

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