Robotic+Surgery

**What is Robotic Surgery?**
In robotic-assisted surgery, very small incisions called ports are used to place mechanical surgical tools into the body. The surgeon sits at a console and looks into a three-dimensional magnified binocular viewfinder. He performs the surgical procedure by looping his fingers around controls on the console. These movements are translated to the robot "hands" inserted into the ports. The robot hands follow every move the surgeon makes: cutting, clamping and sewing just as the surgeon would in an open incision several inches larger.

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NEWS ARTICLES
From: [|Shreverport Times] (Click on title to access official site) Child undergoes robotic surgery at Sutton Children'sAugust 30, 2006 By Alisa Stingley astingley@gannett.com

A 3-year-old boy is the first child to undergo robotic-assisted surgery at Christus Schumpert Sutton Children's Medical Center, officials said Tuesday.

The surgery is believed to be the first of its kind in Louisiana, according to representatives from Intuitive Surgical, which makes the only robotic surgery system in use today.

A second pediatric robotic case is planned at Sutton Children's later this week.

Pediatric surgeons Donald Sorrells Jr. and Mark Brown performed a "Nissen" procedure Aug. 24 at Sutton Children's on the Jena boy, who had respiratory problems associated with an abnormality in the valve between his stomach and esophagus. He also suffered from digestive difficulties and sleep apnea.

The boy, who has other medical problems associated with prematurity, is recovering well from the surgery and should go home in the next day or two, according to Sorrells.

A Nissen procedure involves wrapping a part of the stomach around the lower esophagus to prevent the flow of acids from the stomach to the esophagus and strengthen the valve between the two organs. This procedure is often performed using a laparoscopic surgical technique. It can also be done as traditional open surgery.

Christus Schumpert has two daVinci robotic-assisted surgery systems. The first system was introduced at the local hospital for prostate cancer in 2003.

The second system was purchased in 2005 and is used for gynecologic and prostate surgeries.

Sorrells said he expects to be able to use the robotic-assisted system for several kinds of pediatric surgeries that had previously been done laparoscopically.

"The potential of being able to do very delicate things in tight spaces is unique to pediatrics," Sorrells said in a news release. "This is amazing technology that reduces some of the challenges of standard laparoscopic surgery."

Using robotic-assisted surgery instead of laparoscopic surgery allows surgeons to make smaller incisions and perform more intricate surgeries, meaning less pain, fewer complications and a faster recovery for patients.