Robotic Surgery information

Having surgery at Doncaster Royal Infirmary with the da Vinci Xi surgical system

Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals uses the da Vinci surgical system, allowing patients access to minimally invasive robotic assisted surgery.

This leaflet explains what robotic assisted surgery entails and provides information about what this means for you if your surgeon recommends this surgical approach.

This information should be read in tandem with other relevant publications related to your condition, and is specifically about robotic assisted surgery, and what to expect.

What are the different kinds of surgery?

Traditional open surgery, where your surgeon operates through a long incision (cut), may be the first, and traditional, method that comes to mind. However, you may be a candidate for minimally invasive surgery, which requires just one or a few small cuts.

Minimally invasive surgery includes:

Robotic-assisted surgery

Surgeons can perform robotic-assisted surgery with one of the different surgical systems available on the market. While the word “robotic” is in the description, a robot doesn’t perform surgery. Your surgeon is the one performing surgery controlling the instruments remotely and enabling features the surgical system offers.

At DBTH, we use the da Vinci Surgical System.

Traditional laparoscopic surgery

Surgeons perform laparoscopic surgery using special long-handheld tools while viewing magnified images from the laparoscope (camera) on a video screen.

Why your surgeon may recommend robotic-assisted surgery

Just as technology such as MRI and CT scanners may help to enhance a surgeon’s skills beyond what the human body allows, robotic-assisted surgery may extend the capabilities of a surgeon’s eyes and hands. With the da Vinci surgical system, your surgeon:

• Stays with you in the operating room and uses his or her hands to control a camera and surgical instruments to perform the procedure.
• Views the entire operation in 3D HD, giving your surgeon a crystal-clear view of the surgical area that is magnified 10 times to what the human eye sees.
• Uses wristed instruments that move like a human hand but with an even greater range of motion. The system’s built-in tremor-filtration technology helps your surgeon move smoothly each instrument with precision

The da Vinci Surgical System

Different surgical systems are available on the market around the world and may present different architecture
resulting in various features. The da Vinci surgical system consists of three components:

Surgeon console: Is the control centre where your surgeon sits to perform the operation

Patient cart: Holds the camera and surgical instruments your surgeon controls from the console

Vision cart: Manages communication between all the system components and provides a screen for the care team to view the operation.

Care team: There will be several people in the operating room during a robotic-assisted procedure. Each person is part of your care team and plays an important role in your surgery.

Potential benefits of Robotic Surgery

• Shorter hospital stay
• Less pain
• Reduced blood loss and need for blood transfusion
• Faster recover and return to normal activities

Procedures

When recommended by your surgeon, the surgical system can be used for these procedures:

• Colorectal: Colon resection, rectal resection.
• General Surgery: Bariatric surgery, gallbladder surgery, hernia repair.
• Gynaecology: Endometriosis resection, benign hysterectomy, hysterectomy for cancer, fibroid removal, pelvic organ prolapse.
• Head and Neck: Benign base of tongue resection.
• Thoracic: Lung surgery.
• Urology: Kidney blockage, kidney surgery, prostate surgery.

Your questions

Does the surgical system perform surgery?

No. Your surgeon performs surgery. The da Vinci surgical system translates every hand movement your surgeon makes in real time to bend and rotate the instruments with precision.

Why should I choose robotic-assisted surgery?

People choose robotic-assisted surgery for a variety of reasons. Your doctor may have recommended this surgical approach for you to enable more complex procedures to be performed using key-hole surgery, to perform the surgery more accurately or more safely.

How do surgeons train on robotic-assisted surgery?

A comprehensive training and accreditation process is used to ensure surgeons operating using the da Vinci surgical system are fully trained.

How can I get robotic-assisted surgery?

If your doctor recommends robotic-assisted surgery for your condition, he or she can let you know your next steps.

How can you prepare for surgery?

One way to learn more about your surgery is to ask your doctor and care team questions.

1. What medical and surgical options are available for me?
2. Which is best for my situation?
3. What are the differences between open, laparoscopic, and robotic-assisted surgery?
4. If you suggest I have surgery, how should I prepare for it?
5. What am I likely to experience after surgery?
6. What is the risk of complication from this surgery?

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