UroToday - Hand Pain during Hand-Assisted Laparoscopic Nephrectomy- An Ischemic Event?

One of my reasons for telling visiting urologists that I prefer robotic kidney surgery to laparoscopy is how much better I feel physically during a robotic vs. a laparoscopic surgery.

This abstract discusses the pain encountered by urologists during hand assist nephrectomies. I agree there is pain, but I notice it more if the hand port is relatively tight. The tighter it is, the more pain I have.

Regardless of the reason for the pain, I think most of us would agree that doing robotic kidney surgery in a comfortable fashion that the da Vinci provides may be better than operating with an ischemic, painful hand.

Posted by Domenico Savatta, M.D. | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0) | | |

From the World Congress of Endourology
Source UroToday

Saturday, 19 August 2006
O Elhage1, AP Shortland , BJ Challacombe , D Murphy , A Sahai , P Dasgupta 2 1 1 1 11Department of Urology, Guy's Hospital and GKT School of Medicine, London, UK, One SmallStep Gait Laboratory, Thomas Guy House, Guy's Hospital, London, UK.2
Introduction: Considerable controversy surrounds the benefits or otherwise of robotics in urology. Sceptic laparoscopic urologists believe it to be just another expensive tool due to the lack of robust scientific evaluation. In addition to the effect of robotics on patients we have been carefully studying its effects on the surgeon.

Method: The Da Vinci robot underwent real time ergonomic analysis in our motion lab. Multiple high definition cameras tracked the motion of the surgeon seated at the console as opposed to standing during laparoscopic surgery. Motion sensors and EMG electrodes were attached to the torso, arms and a head band with continuous recordings during five standardised, repeated laparoscopic tasks in a dry lab to assess overall and specific muscular fatigue.

Result: Due to reduced head and body movement in the seated position with eyes fixed to the stereoscopic view finder, overall fatigue and specifically that of the trapezius seems to be reduced by robotic surgery allowing surgeons to perform complex laparoscopic procedures for longer periods.

Conclusion: It is time to start thinking about the well being of surgeons in addition to their patients. Robotics may just be the answer.

Posted by Dale Russell M.D. | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0) | | |

I have noticed after several recent cases that my eyes feel dry and itchy. I think it is due to a reduced blink reflex, a well reconized problem for those working with computer monitors and sometimes called Computer Vision Syndrome.

"Research has shown that the blink rate of VDT workers dropped very significantly during work at a VDT compared to before and after work. Possible explanations for the decreased blink rate include concentration on the task or a relatively limited range of eye movements."

Continue reading "Eye strain and robotics" »

Posted by Dale Russell M.D. | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0) | | |