A P R I L 2 0 1 7 O U T P A T I E N TS U R G E R Y. N E T 2 5
thing from
appendectomies
to complicated
hernias to fundo-
plication, just
about any sur-
geon should be
able to do the
same. Here are a
few of the factors
that turned a
once-skeptical
surgeon into a
solid supporter of robotic technology.
• Improved visualization. The robot's 3D camera and the optics in general are
much better than what you get with traditional laparoscopy. The robot also has
integrated fluorescent imaging. That means we can give patients an intravenous
dye, hit a button and watch as all the bile ducts light up bright green. You see a
perfect road map for surgery, which is especially important for patients who
have a lot of inflammation or a lot of anatomical distortion. It's a huge safety
advantage.
The camera is located on a chip at the tip of the robotic instrument arm and
stays exactly where you put it, which is extremely helpful. You don't have to
rely on someone else to keep the camera in place, so the need for multiple
assistants is reduced. In addition, the camera doesn't drift during the proce-
dure, so surgeons have a consistent view of the action.
• Better control. The ability to precisely articulate the robot's instruments lets
surgeons do more minimally invasive procedures and fewer open ones. For
example, during some of the more complicated redo and incarcerated hernias,
• EFFICIENT GROUP Dr. Heffner's surgical team consists of 3 people: a physician assistant, a first
assistant and himself.
Lima
Memorial
Health
System
&
Bruce
Works
of
Photo
Works