Technology has played a great role in every aspect of our lives, from transportation, to communication, to even our daily survival and even the health system. Technology has been able to greatly improve the medical system over the years as more ground-breaking research has yielded so many positive results in health management.
In health management, technology has played a great role in improving health care, from virtual reality, to precision, to the development of artificial organs, to sex transformation down to wireless brain sensors and even robotic surgery.
Robotic surgery or robot assisted surgery as it is also called simply involves having robotic equipment’s assist in surgeries. Robotic surgery is mostly used in minimally invasive surgery. Minimal invasive surgery simply refers to surgeries that have a way of limiting the size of incision made during surgery. In minimal invasive surgery, the surgeon with the aid of miniaturized instruments is able to perform surgeries just by making little incisions and is able to achieve the same result with open surgery. Minimal invasive surgery helps lessen the wound healing period as the wound size is smaller compared to an open surgery. Also, in minimal invasive surgery, also has a low risk of infection and pain on the patient, this is due to the little incision made.
Its also worthy to note that minimal invasive surgery normally makes use of tiny camera’s and tubes also.
In robotic surgery, the surgeon performs surgery by using a console that is connected to master controllers that have the ability to control about four robotic arms. The surgeon performs this surgery by viewing a high 3-dimensional imaging on the console from which the surgeon can clearly see the ongoing surgical procedure. In robotic surgery, the computer software plays an important role as it the surgeon watches the procedure and administers the instructions which controls the robotic arms. Instruments that the surgeon would have used in open surgery are attached to the arms of the robot, while the surgeon control the robotic arms to perform the surgery. The robotic arms movements are like actual hand movements and are very precise.
The following are some examples of conditions that have been treated with the robotic surgery procedure:
- Thyroid cancer (Neck)
- oropharyngeal cancer
- Orthopaedic surgeries
- Organ Transplant
- Gastrointestinal
- Heart related surgeries.
There are lots of advantages when it comes to robotic surgery, and some of its advantages includes the following:
- It has a shorter healing time
- It’s a less painful procedure when compared to the open surgery procedure.
- It helps reduce the chances of the patient being infected as there is just a small wound.
- Also, there is reduced loss of blood due to the small incisions.
- Also, robotic surgery ensures that the patient has a shorter stay at the hospital, this is due to the patient having smaller wounds.
Also, the patient has a higher chance of ending up with little scars compared to open surgery.
Robotic surgeries also have its disadvantages such as the following:
- Robotic surgeries are more expensive to open heart surgery.
- Another issue with robotic surgery is the issue of movement latency, it takes awhile for the robot arms to act on the instruction of the surgeon.
Robotic surgery is one of technology’s best gifts to health care.