Friday, July 22, 2016

Some Facts On Robotic Surgery Houston Clients Need To Be Aware Of

By Debra Butler


Robotic surgery is a form of minimally invasive surgical operation in which the surgeon is assisted by a small robot in their work. The robot has arms to which the necessary surgical instruments are attached. It is important to point out that it is not the robot that conducts the operation. Rather it is the surgeon but with a little help. There are a number of facts on robotic surgery Houston residents would find informative.

The preparation needed for one to undergo this type of operation is similar to what is required in other operations. For instance, their hemoglobin and platelet levels should be within the acceptable ranges. Drugs likely to increase the risk of bleeding should be stooped at least ten days before the procedure. Depending on the type of anesthesia that is to be used, patients may also be required to fast (for at least 8 hours) so as to reduce the risk of aspiration.

When you are taken to the operating room, you will receive some form of anesthesia (general or regional depending on the condition). The surgeon will then make some incisions in your abdominal wall to be used for the insertion of instruments. The robot is connected to an endoscope that helps to generate images from the site of operation. They will then sit comfortably in the computer station from where they will operate the robot.

The robotic equipment has been developed in a manner that facilitates the projection of 3-D images. This creates a scenario that is almost similar to what would be experienced if the surgeon was conducting an open surgical operation. If you are anesthetized only at the spinal level then you may witness the operation from a screen (you may need to put in a request for this). The robot transmits hand movements to the surgical instruments.

Robot assisted surgeries have been used and are still used for a wide range of conditions. These include, among others, the repair of ventral hernias, radical prostatectomy, hysterectomy, tubal ligation and reversal, reduction of cancerous growths, repair of cardiac valves and coronary artery bypass among others. The technique may not be suitable for very complicated cases where manual manipulation is a necessity.

The robotic technique has a number of advantages over both the laparoscopic and open surgical options. The robot confers greater precision in cutting and repairing compared to both of the other two options. The small size of instruments involved as well as the exposure provided by the camera enables the surgeon to operate with ease and reduces the risk of injury to adjacent structures. The likelihood of surgeon burnout is markedly reduced.

There are a number of factors that may contribute to the low uptake of this technique by hospitals as well as individual surgeons. One of the biggest hindrances is inaccessibility of the equipment. The robots are only available in select hospitals. The other challenge is the lack of adequate skills among surgeons. Some of these surgeons would prefer sticking with techniques that they are familiar with.

As is the case with many other types of surgeries, some complications may be encountered when this technique is used. However, the risk is less than that associated with other techniques such as the open procedure and conventional laparoscopy. The most commonly encountered complications include bleeding, reactions to the anesthetic drugs used infections. The risk of these complications can be lowered even further by having adequate preparation.




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