The Surgical Revolution In Minimal Access Surgery- The Robotic Connection

Dr. Satava, Professor of Surgery, University of Washington discussed that robots are 12-15 times faster and function with greater precision than humans. Robots can work around the clock without taking coffee breaks, he said. Information is a basis for surgery in the new age. "Holomer" is a total body scan to guide intra-operative navigation during surgery. A surgeon could then use this to perform a virtual operation on a patient prior to the real operation. A robot is an information machine, rather than a machine, he said. Thinking as such will permit greater integration into our healthcare system. The surgeon is then an information manager, and can integrate all aspects of the care to include preoperative planning, surgical approaches, etc. The robot can give 1mm accuracy using a virtual robot to practice an operation ahead of time on a virtual patient.