Robot assisted surgery utilizes small incisions and instruments similar to laparoscopic surgery.  However, the instruments are not manually controlled at the patient's bedside as with laparoscopic surgery. 

Instead the instruments attached to a robotic device which in turn is controlled by the surgeon who is sitting nearby at a console.

The surgeon looks into a binocular lens at the console which displays a high definition, magnified, three dimensional view (as opposed to a two dimensional view with laparoscopy) of the patient's internal anatomy.  The surgeon manipulates "joy stick" like instruments which control the laproscopic intruments.  Every hand movement made by the surgeon at the console is mimicked by the robot.

 

A benefit of the robot is that it dampens the natural tremor of the human hand improving surgical precision.  The robot also allows the surgeon to perform more complex maneuvers compared to laparoscopy because of a ball joint located at the tips of the robotic instruments.  The ball joint allows free range of motion of the robotic instruments superior to the maneuvarability of the human wrist.

 

This section is coming soon.