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How to Avoid the Hospital

Hello, my name is Simon. I am a 59-year-old man who lives alone in downtown Perth. I am pleased to say that I have never had to spend a night in a hospital. This is because I know how to take care of myself. When I was growing up my grandpa often used to tell me that if you eat well and exercise, you will live a long life. He died aged 95, so he must have known something. However, it was only when I became friends with a doctor, that I discovered all the other things I could do to stay healthy. I decided to start this blog to encourage others to look after their health.

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Advantages and disadvantages of robot assisted minimally invasive surgery

Health & Medical Blog

If you are going to undergo surgery that will use fibre optic equipment that enters your body through a few small incisions, you may find that the surgeon will make use of robotic surgical equipment. This type of surgery has advantages for your doctor and for you, the patient. As with any procedure, there is also a flip side: robotic surgery has some disadvantages.

Understanding robotic surgery

Robotic surgery is the name given to a surgical procedure that is minimally invasive and during which the surgeon uses robot-controlled equipment to perform the procedure.

Advantages of robotic surgery for the surgeon 

  • With the assistance of robotic equipment, surgeons are able to perform the most complex surgical procedures with more precision than ever before.
  • Surgeons have more flexibility in the process of operating and can operate in hard-to-reach areas.
  • The doctor has more control over the whole process than with conventional surgery.

Advantages of robotic surgery for you the patient

  • Because robotic surgery is usually minimally invasive, the site of the operation will be small, which means that there is a decreased likelihood of infection of the wound.
  • Your scars will be smaller and will be less visible once you have healed.
  • Generally, with this type of surgery, you will suffer from less pain overall. You will also recover much more quickly than with conventional surgery.
  • You will spend less time in hospital and will be able to return to work relatively quickly.

Disadvantages of robotic surgery

  • Although the wounds from the less invasive procedures associated with robotic surgery will heal quickly, there is still a small risk of complications. Robotic surgery is still surgery and there is still some risk of infection of the operation site.
  • Although patients undergoing robotic surgery usually spend less time under anaesthetic than in a normal surgery, there is still a risk associated with any anaesthetic.
  • Robotic surgery usually takes a significantly longer time to perform than conventional surgery. This can be due to the surgeon not being completely familiar with the equipment.  As their familiarity increases through usage, the time spent operating will reduce.
  • The equipment required for robotic surgery takes up much more space than is required for conventional surgery and the operating theatre may be a little crowded. This may affect the area in which the surgeon can function and, therefore, the dexterity that is required for a procedure to be performed.
  • Surgical equipment in conventional operating theatres is not necessarily compatible with the robotic equipment.

Depending on what surgical procedure you need to have, the advantages of a less invasive procedure, mostly using robotic equipment, usually outweigh the disadvantages, producing an outcome that is beneficial to your recovery.

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25 May 2016