Robotic surgery: How it has evolved through decades
Have you watched the 2013 American science-fiction film Ender's Game directed by South African filmmaker and actor Gavin Hood? If you have, then you probably remember the surgical robot performing brain surgery on one of the lead characters. Well, medical robots performing surgical procedures are no more confined to sci-fi books or movies. They are a reality now.
Robotic surgery is mostly used for minimally invasive procedures that involve tiny incisions. But why? Because it allows more precision and control than manual surgeries. Typically, a robot surgeon comes with a camera arm and mechanical arms with surgical instruments attached to them and this is how it works. A doctor controls the arms from a computer console near the operating table. The console offers an HD, magnified, 3D view of the surgical site allowing more precision.
Do you know who experimented with robotic surgery for the first time? It’s none other than NASA. Let’s explore this tech-driven method of surgery and how it has evolved through time!
Robotic surgery in the 80s
The first surgical robot, PUMA 560, was created in 1985 to perform brain biopsy, which is done to remove a tissue sample for microscopic examination. The cells removed from the tissue during biopsy reveals the type of brain tumour present and whether or not it is cancerous. In the late 80s, there was another robot surgeon that surfaced. Named PROBOT, it was used for prostate surgery in men.
Prominent robotic surgery systems of the 90s
This decade saw quite a few developments in this field. One of the prominent robot surgeons of the 90s is ROBODOC created by IBM and Integrated Surgical Solutions, Inc. Used to perform total hip and total knee replacement surgeries, it was the first robot in 1992 to operate on a human being in the US. Since then, ROBODOC has carried out thousands of orthopaedic surgeries all over the globe. By the late 1990s, engineers created three systems that combined surgical technology with robots: The AESOP, the Zeus Robotic Surgical Systems (ZRSS) and the Da Vinci Surgical System.
The AESOP system, which was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1994, was used for regulating an endoscope inside the patient's body during an operation. Human surgeons used to deliver voice commands to the robot. The ZRSS, on the other hand, would assist in surgical procedures. It was approved by the FDA in 2001. After 2003, the production of this robotic surgical system was halted.
The Da Vinci system, which used to enable is one of the most advanced technologies that is used till date. It is beneficial for minimally invasive surgeries required to treat kidney and urological conditions.
The Lindbergh operation of 21st century
The year 2001 marked an important landmark in the history of robotic surgery, when the Lindbergh operation was conducted. This extremely successful remote surgery was carried out by Dr Michel Gagner (Canada) and Dr Jacques Marescaux (France). They remotely conducted a gallbladder removal surgery from New York City, on a patient in Strasbourg, France. The only drawback was that the distance between the control unit and the surgical area caused some time delays.
What’s the current scenario?
The current and most popular instrument used in robotic surgery is the Da Vinci surgical system. The robot systems in use now improve a surgeon’s abilities. With the use of these robots, extremely complex surgeries can be performed even through small cuts. The robots are also built to correct and remove any trembling caused by the surgeon’s hand. The functioning of the human wrist is mirrored by robotic arms, enabling surgeons to carry out complex operations accurately. Kudos to technology!