About Robotic Surgery

A surgical robot is a tool your surgeon will use to perform a highly precise complex procedure.

The term "robotic surgery" may create an image of a robot performing your procedure. In reality, your surgeon directs the entire surgery. Think of the robot as a more precise extension of your surgeon's hands, capable of moving in positions previously impossible for the human wrist and hand.

The robotic surgery system allows your surgeon unparalleled flexibility and visualization during complex surgeries.

Robotic Surgery Equipment

Our surgeons have extensive experience operating with the da Vinci® Si™ Surgical System. It includes the following equipment, designed to make the surgery as precise as possible:

Patient cart with four interactive robotic arms. The robotic arms include the surgical instruments and high-definition camera. Your surgeon will place the instruments and camera inside the surgery site in order to operate.
Surgeon's console. This is where your surgeon sits to direct the surgery. It is in the same room that you are in, a few feet away from the operating table. Inside the console is a screen, which provides enhanced, real-time 3-D images of the operating site. Your surgeon can see the operating field even better than if he or she were standing over you.
Endowrist instruments. These instruments control the surgery. The instruments inside your body respond precisely to the movements your surgeon makes at the console.

Robotic Surgery: What to Expect

Here is what you can expect from a robotic surgical procedure. Your surgeon and surgical team will:

Give you full anesthesia; you will be asleep for the entire procedure.
Make a few tiny incisions into your body.
Insert the robotic instruments and miniature camera into the incisions.
Return to the console, where the high-definition camera provides a detailed view of the operating field.
Operate by manipulating the controls. The robotic instruments follow your surgeon's moves precisely. The system can differentiate between hand tremors and intentional movements.
Remove the instruments and cameras and stitch up the incision.

Robotic Surgery vs. Laparoscopic Surgery

How does robotic surgery differ from laparoscopic surgery? They are both minimally invasive procedures, providing you with the most precise surgery and the shortest recovery. There are a few key differences in the performance of the surgeries:

	Robotic Surgery	Laparoscopic Surgery
Incision	Tiny incisions	Tiny incisions
Surgical instruments	Camera Small instrument Surgeon's console Endowrist instruments	Camera Small instrument
Where your surgeon stands	At the console	Next to you
How surgery is performed	Surgeon directs the robot's movements from the console; the robotic instruments in your body respond in real-time	Surgeon operates using the instruments previously inserted in the incisions
Level of dexterity	Highest possible; robotic instruments can rotate a full 360 degrees and are more flexible than a human hand or wrist	Limited range of motion compared to robotic
Ability to access hard-to-reach places	Incomparable; the robot has the dexterity to reach previously inaccessible areas of the body	Greater compared to traditional open surgery due to smaller instruments; less than compared to robotic surgery
Recovery Time	Shorter compared to traditional surgery	Shorter compared to traditional surgery
Risk of infection and blood loss	Rare	Rare

Contact Us

For more information about robotic surgery, contact us at 202-877-DOCS (3627), or at MedStarWashington.org/doctorsline for further information.

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Where to go from here?

Inside About Robotic Surgery: Benefits of Robotic Surgery
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