18 January 2017
 Categories: Health & Medical , Blog

The popularity of robotic surgery has risen significantly since its inception. As implied, this process involves the use of a specially-designed surgical robot to perform medical procedures. The common types of surgeries performed include prostatectomy, hysterectomy and removal of cancerous cysts and general blockages from the urinary tract. This method is favourable because it allows surgical procedure to be performed without large open incisions.

Consequently, the treatment is safer and faster, and the recovery time after the surgery is significantly reduced. Unfortunately, the prospect of going through robot-assisted surgery can be frightening, especially for the first time. Therefore, consider this brief description the medical equipment used during such a procedure for better understanding of robotic surgery.

Surgical Tower

The tower is the section of the surgical robot which is placed over the patient during the procedure. This is the part of equipment in direct contact with the body. In general, this robot has four arms which handle the tools required for the procedure. Three of these arms handle the numerous surgical instruments which perform the actual surgical treatment. The fourth robotic appendage holds the critical 3D cameras which provide visual data to the surgical team during the surgery. The tower and its instruments are controlled by a specialised computer which is able to replicate the movements of the operator.

Surgeon's Console

The console of the surgical robot refers to the control centre which the surgeon uses to operate the tower. In general, the medical expert looks at the patient's body through a stereoscopic monitor. This is the image acquired through the robotic arm with the camera. The image is magnified, providing a very high definition of the pertinent area to be operated. In addition, the surgeon has two master controls which are connected to the robotic arms. These are easily manipulated when these arms are moved, and they have advanced technology that allows for high precision.

Additional Controls

There are other controls available for the surgeon in addition to the master controls. These provide additional options for the robotic arms and the general surgical setup. There is a footswitch in case the doctor needs to switch to a secondary source of energy. Also, there are touch pads which are deigned to change or adjust the equipment settings such as the audio and video feed. Typically, all the control components are ergonomically for easy access and the comfort of the surgeon.

You should also note that that the video is transmitted on two-dimensional screens for the rest of the surgical team.