Science and technology are a mighty river impossible to stop; just because progress, innovation, and continuous improvement of instruments and techniques occur constantly, and medicine along with surgery are no exception. The use of instruments, machines, digital devices, screens, electrocautery, are only precedents of a continuous integration system that allows improving the results for the surgeon and especially for the patient. In this article we tell you about some curious facts about robotic surgery.
- The surgical robot is born from military engineering, which sought to provide medical care to war wounded without exposing doctors on combat fronts. Its design and development was born more than 50 years ago
- The surgical robot was born from the collaboration of institutions such as NASA, which provided virtual reality and telepresence technology, and DARPA, the United States research agency for defense and national security.
- Surgical robots have between one and five arms, which allows each one to carry out a different action, cut, coagulate, aspirate, suture.
- To date there are 5 generations of robots used in an operating room and in different parts of the world several companies are working on improving the model.
- The surgical robot works under a master slave model, where the surgeon gives the instructions so that the robot (slave) executes them.
- In Mexico, the first robotic surgery was performed more than 10 years ago. We currently have more than 25 robots across the country and this number continues to grow.
- Multiple countries have ventured into the development of technology and innovation for robotic surgery, being the current leaders: and followed by the United States, Japan, South Korea, China, France, and England.
- A surgical robot optimizes the surgeon’s skills by reducing hand tremor and increasing range of motion.
- Large technology companies, such as Google or Amazon, are investing in research and innovation to participate in the development of robotic surgery.
- Robotic surgery is not as expensive as people think, in fact considering the benefits related to minimal invasion and tissue management, its cost is almost comparable to that of open or laparoscopic surgery (fewer complications) and in the coming years it will surely be less.
- In its beginnings, robotic surgery was full of doubts, skepticism and complications: today it is the standard of care for multiple ailments, as it offers the best results.
- Robotic surgery is applicable to any area of medicine and the human body, however the specialties with the most experience in its use are: Urology, Gynecology and Gastrosurgery.
These are just some of the interesting facts about robotic surgery. Just as 50 years ago we used typewriters and today we use computers, so is the benefit of trading with robots.
Dr. Diego Antonio Preciado Estrella.
Urologist specialized in Oncological Urology and minimally invasive surgery.
He graduated as a surgeon from the Universidad Guadalajara (2011-2013).
Later he studied the specialty of Urology at the General Hospital Dr. Manuel Gea González (2014-2018).
It has a High Specialty in Urinary Tract Cancer. National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) (2018).
He has training at the National Institute of Cancerology. Specialist attached to the Department of Urology. (2019)
It has high specialties and training in andrology, robotic surgery, laparoscopy, endoscopy and minimal invasion.
He is a member of the American Urological Association (AUA), the Mexican Society of Urology and the European Society of Urological Oncologists (EMUC).
He is certified by the current Mexican National Council of Urology for the legal and professional practice of the specialty.
He has a diploma in advanced laparoscopy endorsed by the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM).