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Frequently Asked Questions |
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Laparoscopic surgery took off about 15 years ago and has been very successful in the adult world, but the instruments have remained too big for most pediatric procedures. Also, surgery in adults is usually to remove something while in children we repair and reconstruct things, which requires smaller, more flexible tools.
Robotic equipment makes it possible to perform the very same surgical procedure as traditional open surgery, but through a much smaller opening. During robotically-assisted surgery the surgeon sits at a console in the operating room, and another surgeon is at your child's bedside.
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The robotic technology is entirely controlled by the surgeon - it functions as an extension of the surgeon's hands. This allows a surgeon to perform complex procedures as though his hands were inside the patient, yet gives the patient the benefits of a minimally invasive procedure. The robotic equipment increases dexterity, precision, and visibility so surgeons can perform more complex procedures through tiny incisions. No matter your skill as a surgeon, everyone has a bit of shake to the hand, but the robot eliminates this. Benefits of minimally-invasive surgery are less pain, faster recovery, reduced hospitalization time, and less scarring.
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Children's Hospital Boston uses a da Vinci Surgical System, the state-of-the-art technology for robotically-assisted surgery. It is a sophisticated robotic platform designed to enable complex surgery using minimally invasive surgical techniques. The system uses robotic technology to allow physicians to view high resolution 3-D images of the operating site and seamlessly translates the surgeon's wrist and hand movements in the console into precise movements of the surgical equipment inside the patient. The enhanced visibility, dexterity, and precision make it ideal for use in complex surgical procedures. Children's surgeons have worked with the manufacturer, Intuitive Surgical, to create smaller instruments for use in pediatric patients.
The da Vinci Surgical System has four components:
1. Surgeon Console
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The surgeon operates while seated at a console viewing a 3-D image of the surgical field. The surgeon's fingers grasp the master controls, and the system seamlessly translates the surgeon's hand, wrist, and finger motions into precise, real-time movements of surgical instruments inside the patient.
2. Patient-side Cart
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This cart includes three or four robotic arms that precisely execute the surgeon's movements and perform the surgery inside the patient. Supporting members of the surgical team assist with setting up the appropriate instruments and supervise the laparoscopic arms and tools as they work on the patient.
3. InSite Vision System
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This technology includes a high-resolution 3-D endoscope and state-of-the-art image processing equipment to provide crisp and clear true-to-life images of the operating field.
4. Endowrist Instruments
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These instruments, which perform precise suturing, cutting, and tissue manipulation, allow more precision than traditional minimally-invasive equipment because they are designed to mimic the dexterity and motion of the human wrist, hand and fingers. This makes it possible to perform reconstructive surgeries not possible using other minimally invasive surgery methods.
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Robotic surgery is the same for babies and for adults. The size of the instruments may vary depending on the size of the patient and the procedure.
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The robotic equipment increases dexterity, precision, and visibility, allowing surgeons to perform more complex procedures through tiny incisions. Benefits of minimally-invasive surgery are less pain, faster recovery, reduced hospitalization time, and less scarring. Robotic equipment makes it possible to perform the very same surgical procedure as traditional open surgery, but through a much smaller opening.
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In 2001, Children's Hospital Boston was the first children's hospital to acquire a surgical robot. More robotic surgery is performed at Children's, and it is used in a wider array of procedures, than at any other pediatric hospital in the world. Today, surgeons use the technology for a wide array of procedures and perform more pediatric robotic surgeries than any other hospital in the world. Children's physicians have developed a number of new applications to expand the use of the robot, and train surgeons from around the world on its use in children and adults.
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Minimally invasive surgery translates into quicker recovery time and less pain in children. They're out of the hospital sooner and back to normal activities sooner. This also means parents need to less time off from work. Robotic surgery is not meant to replace open surgery, but it offers an alternative for some patients who need major reconstruction.
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