The da Vinci Surgical System is a robotic surgical system made by Intuitive Surgical and designed to facilitate complex surgery using a minimally invasive approach. The system is controlled by a surgeon from a console. It is commonly used for prostatectomies and increasingly for cardiac valve repair and gynecologic surgical procedures.
This system consists of a surgeon's console that is typically in the same room as the patient and a patient-side cart with four interactive robotic arms controlled from the console. Three of the arms are for tools that hold objects, act as a scalpel, scissors, and etc. The fourth arm is for an endoscopic camera with two lenses that gives the surgeon full stereoscopic vision from the console. The surgeon sits at the console and looks through two eye holes at a 3-D image of the procedure meanwhile maneuvering the arms with two foot pedals and two hand controllers. The da Vinci System scales, filters and translates the surgeon's hand movements into more precise micro-movements of the instruments, which operate through small incisions in the body .
In an article written by Kristen Gerencher, from MarketWatch, she talks of a the robotic surgical procedure she was able to witness in February 2005. Gerencher, witnessed a procedure done by Dr. Nezhat on a woman who suffered from endometriosis, a condition where tissue that normally lines the uterus grows other places in the body. Endometriosis is estimated to affect as many as 15 percents of American women.
Gerencher watched as the doctor, using the da Vinci surgical system, removed the woman's uterus, ovary, and cervix. She spoke of how watching this robotic system was amazing and interesting as well. The robotic system requires more time spent in the operating room, but appears to pay off in reduced hospitals. Robotics are said to do more complex things and make surgical procedures and recovery a lot more safer, easier and quicker.
