Robotic Surgeries
Robotic, or robot-assisted surgery, translates your surgeon’s hand movements into smaller, precise movements that control tiny surgical instruments inside your body. This technology allows for many types of complex surgeries and delicate procedures to be performed with more control, precision, and flexibility than would be possible with traditional techniques.
At MSA, robotic surgeries are performed using the da Vinci Surgical System. This system is FDA approved and is the most widely used clinical robotic surgical system, adopted by hospitals throughout the United States and Europe. It features a camera and mechanical arms with surgical instruments attached to them that can bend and rotate far more than the human hand. The instruments are controlled by a surgeon from a computer console, which provides a magnified, 3 dimensional, HD view of the surgical site inside the patient’s body.
Robot-assisted surgery can be used to treat a wide range of conditions, and is performed through just a few small incisions. Because it is minimally-invasive and offers enhanced precision and control, this type of surgery provides the following benefits:
- Fewer complications, including infection at the surgical site
- Less pain and bleeding
- Faster recovery
- Smaller scars that are less noticeable
Some of the types of Robotic procedures we perform include:
- Gallbladder – removal of gallstones
- Hernia – correction of muscle or tissue breaking through the organ containing it
- Colorectal – removal of cancerous tumors in colon or rectum
- Para-esophageal – repair of a hiatal hernia in which the stomach bulges up into the chest through the opening where the esophagus is supposed to attach.
- Adrenal – repair or removal of a damaged adrenal gland
Risks
Robotic surgery involves risks no different than any other type of surgery, including chance of infection and bleeding.
Before Surgery
You will be required to fast and stop taking certain medications prior to your procedure. You will also need a variety of tests, such as blood or urine tests, chest X-ray, an EKG, ultrasound and/or CT scan to ensure you are in optimum health.
What Happens in Surgery?
During a Robotic-assisted surgery, your surgeon will not stand over you in a traditional manner, but rather “direct” the surgery from alongside of you. While surgical steps vary depending on the type of procedure performed, generally steps include:
- Tiny (one to two centimeter) incisions made
- A thin and flexible tube with a camera and miniature robotic instruments is inserted into the body via the incisions
- From a nearby computer console, a surgeon directs the procedure with hand movements
- The instruments translate these gestures into precise, real-time movements inside your body
After Surgery
While every case is different, patients typically stay in the hospital 1 – 2 nights, and most fully recover within six weeks of surgery. You will be provided with at-home instructions. These should be followed closely. If any problems arise or you have any questions, you are encouraged to call us at any time.
Open hours: 231-739-9461
After hours: 231-737-4194
