Robotic surgery may sound like something straight out of a sci-fi movie, but robotic systems have been used in surgery for about 40 years. Today, robotic surgery (or robot-assisted surgery) is used in many areas of medicine, including gynecology.
Rafael J. Perez, MD, FACOG, is a leading provider of robot-assisted surgery, relying on the state-of-the-art da Vinci® surgery system to help our patients at the Center for Urogynecology and Advanced Laparoscopic Surgery achieve optimal outcomes.
In this post, learn more about robot-assisted surgery and why it’s so popular with patients.
Robot-assisted surgery is just what it sounds like — a surgical procedure performed with the aid of highly precise surgical robots. We use these robots like instruments, providing us with significant advantages compared with traditional surgery techniques.
Robotic surgery systems use robotic arms with different instruments, depending on the type of surgery. The arms have a far greater range of motion than human hands and arms. Dr. Perez controls these arms using a special computer console.
The arms are equipped with tiny cameras and bright lights designed to capture real-time images of the surgical site as the procedure progresses. These images are transmitted to a high-definition video monitor on the surgical console, providing crystal-clear, magnified images of the surgical site for a better view.
Robot-assisted surgery doesn’t just sound cool — it offers plenty of benefits, too. Here are some of them.
Thanks to the advanced software and highly flexible arms, robot-assisted surgery is very precise, making it an ideal choice for surgeries in confined areas or locations where anatomy is particularly complex. Greater precision also supports better outcomes and recovery.
Because it’s so precise, robot-assisted surgery preserves more healthy tissue than most traditional surgeries. Less tissue damage also means less bleeding during your procedure and less swelling during your recovery.
Robot-assisted surgery is minimally invasive, and that means it uses smaller incisions compared with traditional surgery. In turn, those small incisions expose less tissue to the external environment, reducing the risk of infection and other complications.
Small incisions offer another benefit: smaller and less noticeable scars. Depending on the type of surgery you’re having, this benefit can help you feel more comfortable wearing bathing suits or other revealing clothing.
When less tissue is damaged, there’s less tissue that needs to heal after surgery and less post-op swelling, too. That means a more comfortable — and faster — recovery period. Smaller incisions heal faster, too.
While many surgeries can be performed on an outpatient basis, robot-assisted surgery can help shorten your hospital stay if you do require hospitalization.
Not only does that mean you can get back to your regular routine more quickly, but you also shorten the time you might be exposed to germs.
Robot-assisted surgery can be a good choice for many patients, but it’s not always the best option. Dr. Perez is skilled in both robot-assisted surgery and traditional procedures, helping every patient achieve optimal outcomes.
To learn more, call our office to request an appointment with Dr. Perez at the Center for Urogynecology and Advanced Laparoscopic Surgery in South Miami, Florida, today.
