What Is Robotic Surgery?

The robotic surgery system consists of three sections. The first is the section positioned over the patient containing the robot arms that carry out the surgeon’s movements in the surgical field simultaneously. The arms of the robot are in this part. One of these arms carries the camera that takes an image from inside the patient’s body and transmits this image to the surgeon, just as in the laparoscopic system. This camera allows us to obtain a three-dimensional, high-resolution image.

Unlike in laparoscopy, because the camera is controlled by the robot, a tremor-free image is provided. It makes microsurgery possible with a three-dimensional image by getting very close to the point to be visualised (an image magnified up to 16 times). On the other arms, the instruments required by the operation being performed (surgical scissors, needle holder, tissue grasper, tissue cutter, etc.) are mounted according to the surgeon’s wishes. There are a total of 4 arms in this section of the robot. In some operations all of these arms are used, while in others only 3 of them may be used.

Another section of the robot system is the console part from which the surgeon controls the operation. Here there is the section designed to allow the surgeon to sit and to see the screen with the three-dimensional image. The surgeon sits here, rests their forehead against this section and performs the operation with a three-dimensional image. Resting their arms on the support section on the console, they place their fingers into the instruments with which they will direct the robot’s arms.

These instruments allow movements that enable the surgeon to control the arms placed inside the patient’s body with a three-dimensional image. Because these instruments can rotate 540 degrees and move in 7 directions, they make it possible to do far more than hand movements. Because they also eliminate the tremor of the human hand, the margin of error is kept to a minimum. The third section is the part containing the screens that transmit the image to the assistants and nurses in the operating room and the control unit where the settings can be made.