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What is Laparascopic Surgery
Laparoscopic surgery, also referred to as minimally invasive surgery, describes the performance of surgical procedures with the assistance of a video camera and several thin instruments. During the surgical procedure, small incisions of up to half an inch are made and plastic tubes called ports are placed through these incisions. The camera and the instruments are then introduced through the ports which allow access to the inside of the patient. The camera transmits and image of the organs inside the abdomen onto a television monitor. Carbon dioxide gas is used to insufflate the abdomen to create a working space and the surgeon manually operates the small instruments at the operating room table.
Benefits of minimally invasive or laparoscopic procedures are
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less post operative discomfort since the incisions are much smaller
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less overall trauma to the patient
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quicker recovery times
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shorter hospital stays
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earlier return to full activities
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much smaller scars
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there may be less internal scarring when the procedures are performed in a minimally invasive fashion compared to standard open surgery.
What is Robotic Assisted Surgery
DaVinci
The da Vinci™ is the state of the art computer-assisted robotic system that expands a surgeon's capability to operate within the abdomen in a less invasive way. The da Vinci™ robot allows for greater precision and better visualization as compared to standard laparoscopic surgery. Small incisions are made in the abdomen and the working ports are docked to robot arms. The surgeon is remote from the patient, working a few feet from the operating table while seated at a computer console with a three-dimensional view of the operating field. The physician operates two masters (similar to joysticks) that control the mechanical arms on the robot. Instruments can be manipulated within the abdomen with more flexibility than the human hand as well as eliminating all potential tremor.
Robotic surgery has all the same benefits as laparoscopy plus the ability to perform the most difficult and technically challenging surgical procedures.