30 Mar 2010
The most important tool a surgeon has is a pair of steady hands.
At Singapore General Hospital (SGH), a growing number of surgeons now use their hands to grip a joystick-like device instead of a knife or a scalpel. The device controls a robot called “da Vinci”, which helps surgeons perform procedures such as hysterectomies or prostate removal, ovarian cystectomies, as well as cardiothoracic and colorectal surgeries.
Since 2003, surgeons at SGH Campus have performed more than 500 robotics surgeries with the da Vinci robotics system.
In April this year, the Hospital will be adding the latest-generation da Vinci Si dual console surgical robot in our operating theatres. The new system will provide surgeons with more precision and dexterity over existing approaches, improving patient treatment and recovery. SGH is the second hospital in the region to have the da Vinci Si Robotics System.
"The enhanced clarity and detail made possible with robotics surgery are critical when performing delicate and complex procedures. This means a better operation for the patient with reduced complications and recovery time," says A/Prof Christopher Cheng, Head of Urology, SGH.
“Adding the new robotics system to SGH’s surgical capabilities dramatically expands our surgeons’ abilities to perform more minimally invasive techniques for a broad range of surgical patients. The dual-console capability will enable collaboration during minimally invasive surgery, as well as support our training of more surgeons in robotics surgery,” A/Prof Cheng added.
The new dual console robotics system integrates three-dimensional, high-definition endoscopy (surgery performed through small holes in the body) and state-of-the-art robotic technology to virtually extend the surgeon's eyes and hands into the surgical field. The 3D HD visualisation provides the surgeon with a panoramic 16:9 aspect ratio, resulting in the highest possible resolution and viewing area.
The robotics system offers breakthrough technology, including instruments that allow its robotic wrists to rotate a full 360 degrees, enhancing the surgeon's skill and ease of movement. Instead of using the surgeon's two arms, the da Vinci robot utilises four arms that offer unprecedented precision. The system also features dual console capability, which gives surgeons the opportunity to work together during a procedure, and can serve as an invaluable tool to teach the future generation of robotics surgeons.
Robotics surgery offers patients smaller incisions, less blood loss, quicker recovery, shorter hospital stays, and decreased post-operative pain. Currently, surgeons at SGH Campus are using the robotics surgical system to perform minimally-invasive urological, colorectal, gynaecological and cardiothoracic surgery for diseases such as prostate cancer, kidney cancer, uterine, cervical and ovarian cancer, lung cancer, endometriosis and complex gynaecologic reconstruction surgeries.
Dual Console Robotics Surgery
The dual console robotics system allows two surgeons to simultaneously collaborate during surgery – meaning two sets of eyes, hands and skills are involved in the surgery. With the older robotics system, surgeons worked independently, even on complex cases where two surgeons would normally collaborate in open or even laparoscopic surgery.
With the dual console, two surgeons can comfortably sit at their own surgeon console, viewing the exact same 3D HD endoscopic image at the exact same time. They are able to swap control of instrument arms and the camera arm to each other. At any time, a surgeon can take or give control to the other surgeon.
The dual console also allows for surgeons from different specialties to work together on the same patient. For example, a patient undergoing gynaecological and urological procedures can be robotically operated on at the same time, allowing both surgeons to work together and reducing the risks of complications for the patient.
The most obvious advantage of the dual console is the ability to train new robotics surgeons. Instead of the mentoring surgeon and mentoree trading places back and forth throughout the surgery, both surgeons can now work in tandem. The efficiency of having two surgeons working at the same time could easily accelerate the learning curve as both surgeons are seeing the same anatomy and sharing the same instruments, just like the learning process in open surgery. The accelerated learning curve for the surgeons means more cases can be performed; allowing even more patients to benefit from robotics surgery.
Click for pdf format
« Back to previous
page