Ebele Nweje

Robotic-Assisted Surgery: The Surgeon-AI partnership The advent of AI in the medical arena is cumulatively transforming the surgical landscape. Surgeons, patients, and the healthcare system are reaping gigantic benefits from the wonders of Artificial intelligence. The Surgeon-AI partnership between surgeons and robots is utilized in robotic-assisted surgeries to make surgery easier and less painful. Robotic-assisted surgery is a surgeon-AI collaboration that has rendered surgery less invasive and more intuitive. With a console from where a surgeon controls and monitors the procedure, a powerful 3D camera, and flexible, far-reaching surgical arms, Robotic-Assisted surgery is transforming the medical world. Without being perfunctory, we shall delve deeper into robotic-assisted surgery. Robotic-Assisted Surgery So what is Robotic-Assisted Surgery? Many people misunderstand the concept of robotic surgery to mean surgery performed entirely by robots. With this misconception come fears and doubts. That may happen in the future, but for now, robotic-assisted surgery is a medical surgery performed using the surgeon-AI alliance. It would amount to a misnomer if we chose to refer to a surgical procedure performed entirely by a robot as robotic-assisted. The team of specially trained surgeons, nurses, and technicians, perform the surgery with the help of AI-generated surgical arms, visuals, and consoles, all controlled by the surgeons. This idiosyncratic process distinguished robotic surgery from conventional and laparoscopic surgical methods, except that the surgeon accesses the surgical site with the help of robotics. This allows for a more flexible movement, even with smaller incisions. Why is robotic-assisted surgery better? Besides the flexibility and smaller incision, robotic surgery is superior in many other ways. Sharper visuals - The 3D camera furnishes the surgeon with a clearer, HD, magnified visual of the surgical area beyond what the human eye can see naturally. Precise and concise movement - The human hand is imperfect and prone to involuntary movements, unlike the robotic arms that waste no movement. With greater precision, the robotic arms will have lesser chances of mistakes. In addition, the arms can easily maneuver confined spaces. Robotic surgery is less stressful for the team performing the surgery, especially the surgeon, who can sit down to conduct the surgery via the monitor. For the patient, the risk of infection is lower than what is obtainable in the traditional surgery method. The scars are less, and thus, healing is faster. The patient does not lose as much blood when the surgery is AI-assisted. Patients get to spend less time in the hospital. Sometimes, the patient can leave the hospital on the same day as the operation. Dr. Choudhry, who has successfully performed over 2000 robotic-assisted surgeries, reiterated during the IRF presentation that robotic surgery has significantly improved surgical outcomes for patients, doctors, and the overall healthcare system. It will therefore be easier for the surgeons to adjure their patients to concur with robotic surgery when they are better informed. There are different types of robotic-assisted surgery systems. Here are some of the prominent ones - The da Vinci system from Invision Surgicals is the most widely used robotic surgical system. The system enhances the sight and movement capability of the surgeon with tiny incisions and less invasion. Almost two decades after its introduction into the medical world, the da Vinci robotic system has enormously impacted how surgical procedures are performed. The Mazor system, which Medtronic acquired in 2018, uses Stealth Navigation technology to improve visibility of navigation and precision. The Mazor robotic system is a robotic guidance system used in spine surgeries. The Monarch system is from Auris health. Its uniqueness is found in the mobile robotic carts, an integrated interface, which includes ergonomic designs, and the robotic-assisted flexible endoscope. The Ion robotic surgical system, also from Intuitive Surgical, got its FDA clearance in early 2019. This system is used for minimally invasive lung biopsies. Using a robotic catheter, it employs fiber optic shape-sensing technology to reach deep inside the lungs. The surgical robot systems fall into 4 categories: Surgeon Waldo is the most bodacious. There you have the likes of the da Vinci system, where robots (machines) replace the movements that the surgeon’s hands would have made. The Assistive Guide is employed largely in dental and orthopedic implants. These machine assistants guide human actions, ensuring that these actions follow the digital map of the patient. They can go further to ensure conformity to avoid deviations and consequent misapprehensions. The Programmable Automata provides the needed focus to shoot bursts of energy to the exact site of tumors to annihilate the growth. The Motorized Laparoscopic tools cinch relevant controls and machines, like motors, steering control, and laser, to laparoscopic sticks. This allows for better flexibility and vision. The Surgeon-AI partnership is still evolving. It already spans various surgical procedures across the globe. Some surgical procedures where robotic surgery is used are - Robotic-assisted gallbladder, knee, thoracic, dental, gynecological, urological, and neurological surgeries. Robotic-Assisted Surgery faster recovery You must have deduced from the foregoing that robotic-assisted surgery convalesces faster than traditional surgery. The recovery habitude and time differ due to the process employed in the surgical procedures. First of all, because the procedure is more straightforward and involves smaller incisions, the recuperating time will naturally be shorter. Secondly, robotic-assisted surgery supports faster recovery because the chances of infection are slim. There's also less likelihood of bleeding, which may otherwise protract recovery time. Nothing stops the patient from having a quick recovery without bleeding, infection, or deep cuts. And, of course, there is less scarring, thanks to the smaller incisions and the attendant fast healing. Even though every surgical case is unique and the type of surgery affects the recovery time, there is still a wide gap between the recovery time of traditional surgery and Robotic-Assisted Surgery. Patients can get off the bed once the anesthesia wears off and indulge in mild physical activities soon afterward. They can also eat a few hours after the surgery if the surgeon okays it. Some hospitals conduct outpatient robotic surgery for specific procedures. In some cases, traditional surgery recovery takes up to weeks and sometimes months. This is hardly the case in robotic surgery. Robotic-Assisted Surgery's faster recovery often transpires within a few hours or days. According to the UCL website, 'Robot-assisted surgery used to perform bladder cancer removal enables patients to recover far more quickly and spend significantly (20 per cent) less time in hospital, concludes a first-of-its-kind clinical trial led by scientists at UCL and the University of Sheffield.' The study, published in JAMA, also found that patients who had Robotic-Assisted Surgeries bounced back to physical activities apace. This was measured using a wearable smart sensor. Robotic-Assisted Surgery's more rapid recovery is also attributed to the steep reduction in blood clots by about 77%. This invariably means a decrease in time spent in the hospital recovering as well as a reduction in the chances of readmission to the hospital, which according to the research is reduced by 52%. According to Dr. Choudrhy, when you compare extracorporeal anastomosis to intracorporeal anastomosis, for instance, the latter, which is robotic surgery, allows a quicker return to normal bowel movement for the patient. In addition, the patient has a shorter hospital stay time. Vs Also, with robotic surgery, patients will have minimal complications and pains and, thus, can return to their everyday lives quicker. This also means that there will be less need to live on pain medications following the surgery. This is good news, considering the opioid pandemic. However, you still need to be circumspect following robotic surgery. Don't overdo things yet, until your doctor gives you the go-ahead. Your body needs to heal before you step back into your routine. It is also crucial that you maintain hygiene and utmost cleanliness by cleaning the surgical site properly. Despite the small size of the incision, it can still get infected. Robotic-assisted surgery and faster recovery will also depend on the patient’s activities and care after the surgery. Robotic-Assisted Surgery patient successes The patient success rate in robotic-assisted surgery is amazingly high compared to traditional surgery. This we can attribute to the dexterity, clarity, sharper visuals and efficient procedure, and fast recovery provided by the Surgeon-AI partnership. In robotic-assisted surgery patient successes, Dr. Hemal, a professor of urology, conducted three robotic-assisted repairs of abnormal openings between the bladder and the uterus and other procedures. According to this world’s most experienced surgeon in the use of robotic surgery to repair fistulas between the vagina and bladder, Dr. Hemal said in an interview published in the June 2009 issue of the Urologia Internationalis, “Robotic repair was successful in all cases with a mean operative time of 175.5 minutes and all patients being discharged on the third day after surgery." In a couple of case studies chronicled on the UCL website, two patients who had Robotic-Assisted Surgical procedures to remove their cancerous bladders said they fully recovered after the surgeries. The symptoms were gone, and they were able to resume living quality lives as they used to before the distemperatures and their symptoms. The Arab Journal of Urology reports that the rate of robotic-assisted patient success for pyeloplasty surgery was between 94% and 100%. The future looks bright. And, of course, Dr. Choudrhy has successfully performed 2000+ robotic-assisted surgeries. Robotic-Assisted Surgery advanced techniques The only thing perpetual in life is change. The world of robotic-assisted surgery keeps advancing in methodology to boost the quality of life and simplify surgical procedures. Some of the advanced robotic-assisted surgery techniques are already rolling out. Below is Dr. Choudrhy's analysis of the advanced techniques already in use, thanks to cutting-edge technology. Other instances and boons of advanced technology and techniques - Remote surgery may soon be the in-thing for surgeons. Like other tech groups and writers who work remotely, more surgeons may quickly begin to conduct surgeries on patients in Africa from the comfort of their homes in America. This telepresence goes beyond robotics to involve telecommunication. Microbotareis another advancement in the offing. It will necessitate no incision. Instead, it will be transported to the desired location within the body via circulation. Advanced haptic feedback mechanisms and tactile sensors will also help remote surgical procedures. They will enable surgeons to measure the pressure, tension, and force during surgeries for better precision and success in other types of surgery. Capsule robots are more miniature endoscopes that surgeons maneuver using magnetic interactions. These robots will further enhance free movement using even smaller robotics during surgeries. Unassisted robotic surgery is another Robotic-Assisted Surgery advanced technique. Robots may one day, in the nearest future, take over complex surgeries without any human assistance. This technology will be built on surgical techniques of renowned surgeons stored and studied over time. The list goes on and on. Undoubtedly, the affiliation between Surgeons and AI has only just begun. Robotic-Assisted Surgery is becoming the best thing happening in the surgical world, and many surgeons and patients embrace it. Of course, we hope for more tectonic breakthroughs and accessibility across the globe. We look forward to when every patient, irrespective of location, can easily access and afford the numerous benefits of robotic surgeries. Every surgeon can efficiently perform them regardless of the type of surgery.