Surgical procedures carried out with the aid of robots precisely is the definition of Robotic Surgery. However, a layman or most probably a patient is quite uncomfortable with the idea of his/her operation carried out by a machine which is quite a concern. On the contrary, robotic arms used in surgical procedures are perfectly safe since an expert surgeon controls the robot’s arms.

Robotic surgery performed on the patient is a set of medical procedures that introduce the miniature-sized surgical instruments that perform surgeon-guided surgery. The surgeon views through the console and moves the robot’s arm to the desired position to operate. The most popular da Vinci Surgical System was a responsive cure to most acute surgeries. For this reason, it was adopted widely across the United States.

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Types of Robotic Surgery

The common property of the following types of Robotic Surgeries are high accuracy, less painfulness, and low risk of infection.

Gallbladder Surgery: Cholecystectomy is the most advised surgery that involves removing the gallbladder in a few cases. It uses the da Vinci Surgical System – a robotic surgery system operated by specialized and trained surgeons for the operation.

Prostate Surgery: The Prostate tissue(Radical Prostatectomy) and other cancerous tissues surrounding it are the targets of removal in this type of surgery. Robotic-assisted Laparoscopic surgery is one widely suggested by doctors in various multi-speciality hospitals.

Colorectal Surgery: The doctor advises the patient to undergo Colorectal Surgery in case of a Benign tumor or Colectomy. The nerves and tissues are well taken care of since the incisions made are small.

Gynaecological Surgery: Robotic Gynaecological Surgery lowers the pain involved in traditional Gynaecological surgery since the incision made is small. This incision is termed as a Robotic laparoscopic hysterectomy in the abdomen which lets the access to the uterus. The post-operative pain, blood loss, and blood requirement are much lower than the traditional gynaecological surgery.

Kidney Surgery: Cancer-causing tissues surrounding the kidney are the striking target for this surgery. The provision for radial and partial nephrectomy allows the patients to heal and continue their daily activities very shortly.

Cost of Robotic Surgery

Pockets are the prominent area of concern for the families. It is safe to say that the average cost for a patient would be 4.5lakhs in India and around 2,00,000USD in the United States. The cost of Robotic Surgery in India is comparatively lower than the surgeries across the world but is limited to major cities like Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Pune and Gurgaon in India.

If you’re wondering about the cost of setting up the Robotic Surgery arm, here is the cue: A hospital requires a minimum of $2 Million to make the purchase and set up the equipment. It is a remarkable market place concerning the medical field. Investment experts have predicted that the turnover would reach the soaring height of $12.6Billion by the end of 2025. The report by the BIS Research put up this fact for public knowledge.

Is Robotic Surgery economically worth it?

The economy worth of any venture for that matter depends on the result and the success rate. In this case, the dependencies account for the expertise of the surgeon carrying out the operation and the potential of the Robotic arm when pushed to its maximum.

Robotic Surgery is not recommended in most hospitals until it is a critical requirement. Most people across the world prefer to get Robotic Surgery done in India since it is less costly.

Conditions for a Robotic Surgery

Robotic Surgery has become a potential solution for most conditions including Colorectal Surgery, Gynecological Surgery, Thoracic Surgery, Heart Surgery, and many more. According to the report given by Narayana Health, General Surgery and Urologic Surgery have also opted for Robotic Surgery rather than traditional Surgery.

Out of the four robotic arms, one of them holds the camera towards the organ of operation, providing cut-throat images, and making it easier for the surgeons during any surgeries.

Is it safer than traditional surgeries?

The “Safety First” flashcard pops up at every individual either while facing the roof of the operating theatre or while waiting outside the door. Having robots working on their body is sure to be overwhelming for most of them. But one point of consideration that we all are aware of by now is that we have the expert surgeons operating in the background responsible for the movement of the robotic arms inside your body. So you have steady hands operating on you, instead of the human hands which sometimes may turn out to be wobbly considering the age factor or emotional disbalance of the surgeon.

Another major factor of consideration would be the enhanced precisional view of the smallest nerve in the target. This consideration factor would be a backdrop in case of traditional surgeries because they question the precise visual capabilities of the surgeons.

So it is safe to say that Robotic Surgeries is a good alternative for the traditional factor when badly required.

Risks of Robotic Surgery

Exposure to sunlight always has a risk though positive most of the time. Likewise, though Robotic Surgery has a greater advantage and evolves to be the new era of technology in the medical field, it does have its side effects.

The equipment has a high maintenance cost and has required delicate handling since it gets into the human body. The average cost of maintenance is closely equal to $4000 per procedure and about $700 for its service as of 2019 reports. Apart from this, the robotic system costs around $1100 and other accessories bills up to $1900. Hence, Robotic Surgery is a daring risk one has to take to set up the pieces of requirement.

The Robotic Surgery might involve smaller amounts of infection risks depending on the response of the patient’s body condition. A suggestion from an expert holds a key for a healthy tomorrow.

Scope of Robotic Surgery

Robotic Surgery by itself is a huge revolution in medical tech. Universities and hospitals across the globe have been training their students and junior surgeons to carry out successful Robotic Surgery. Since robotic surgery performs a complex set of procedures during the surgeries, it is easier to maintain the records of the patients.

Robotic Surgery is predicted to be one of the highest-grossing businesses across the world according to the recent insight given by Business Insider. Telemedicine and long-distance operation are on the checklist of doctors in the world. A Single-site incision is also a possibility for surgery in the near future.

Advantages of the Robotic Surgery

Enhanced Precision: The precise vision in the surgery helps surgeons handle sensitive human organs carefully. And the smaller size of the arm that is inserted into the body plays a vital role in performing the surgery. The patient experiences relatively lower pain after the surgery.
Recovery rate: The recovery rates of the patient post-surgery is analogously high. In most cases, patients are discharged from the hospital after a day of observation.

Flexibility: The robotic arm is prone to move through 360degrees which is more efficient than the human hand and much steadier.

Disadvantages of the Robotic Surgery

Cost: The cost of the surgery might seem less affordable for all groups of people. The maintenance, set-up, and the robotic system adds up to the cost.

Area: The area covered by the robotic equipment is quite large which might pose difficulty while handling it on the patient. Separation of the surgeon from the operation field can be a drawback in some cases. Hence, traditional surgeries are preferred during such times.

Physical Feedback: Unlike the traditional surgeries, the usage of a robotic arm leaves less or no room for physical feedback by the doctor during the surgery.

Breakdown: There are chances that the arm might break down, which can cost a sum for the replacement. Concern rings the doorbell when there is no backup during such breakdowns in between the surgeries. It might pose a life-threatening situation for the patient on the operation table.

Port size: The port sizes are a definite concern for the arms. The 8mm ports are on high recommendation. Hence, care must be taken to fit in the desired sizes of the arm and must be maintained in the same way.

Rule of Sole market leader: The leading manufacturer of the Robotic arm might take over the whole market. Juvenile manufacturers might find it difficult to take their place with limited resources and the number of countries depending on Robotic Surgery.

Robotic Surgery has been around since the last decade and is well accepted and responsive to the people and the patients. Initially, only experienced surgeons were allowed to train and operate with the robotic arms. The recent past has seen the capable and best of the junior surgeons and students getting trained and briefed for every case they attend. Robotics can occupy a strong position in the field of medicine very soon.