The Josep Trueta Hospital in Girona has incorporated a second robot for operations in addition to one they already had, known as Da Vinci, and which was purchased 5 years ago. The objective is to increase the number of operations that are performed with the help of these devices in some services, but also to perform surgeries in some specialties that still do not have this technology.
In this sense, the specialty of thoracic surgery will begin to operate on some lung and mediastinal cancers with the help of robotics. Since the Trueta incorporated the first Da Vinci five years ago, the hospital has carried out more than 1,000 operations with it, which is why the center has decided to incorporate a new device to be able to carry out more interventions.
From the Hospital they emphasize the importance of being able to expand the portfolio of services that this second device can provide. This is the case, for example, of the Urology Department, which could perform more procedures by robotics than it has done up to now. Another good example is partial kidney surgery for a renal tumor, which will be more precise and entail fewer risks for the patient than the conventional approach.
This new robot also benefits patients who need bladder surgery (cystectomy), in which until now the bladder was removed with laparoscopy and reconstruction was done with the intestine through open surgery. The fact of having a second device will also allow services that until now operated with robotics to be able to perform more operations with this approach, so that more patients will also benefit.
One of the services that will soon start with this new robot is thoracic surgery, which, as of October, as soon as they have received the relevant training, will operate on tumors in the mediastinum, as well as lung tumors, since robotics allows runa more precise, less invasive surgery and with better patient recovery. From the hospital they calculate that about 45-50 procedures per year of thoracic surgery will be done.
In addition to the device, the Hospital Josep Trueta has also acquired a surgical table (Table Motrion) that is linked and synchronized with the robot, which facilitates the mobilization of the patient, which is very important for certain operations, such as color and rectal cancer. , and some gynecologic cancers.
Robotic surgery brings great advantages in terms of precision. In this sense, it increases control and reduces bleeding and the need for transfusions. With the robot, access to complicated anatomies is easier, it allows an excellent visualization of the anatomical reference points and the physiological tremor or involuntary movements of the surgeons are eliminated, as well as postural fatigue after long hours of intervention.
These advantages have a direct impact on the patient since the size of the incisions is smaller, which entails a lower risk of complications and infections, a better and shorter postoperative period, less pain and, ultimately, a faster incorporation into the daily life.
With this system, the surgeon does not operate directly on the patient, but does so from a distance, sitting at the console from where he virtually controls a pair of forceps. Another physician collaborates in the operation from the patient's side, with direct control over the surgical field.
Three-dimensional vision with up to ten times magnification allows clinicians to work with great precision and perform complete surgical procedures. The system translates the movements of the professionals' hands into impulses that are literally transmitted to the robotic arms, making it possible to reach hard-to-reach areas.
