J Robotic urologic surgery
Robotic-assisted surgery is an emerging technique for management of various urologic procedures such as prostatectomy. One of the commercially available systems is the da Vinci surgical system (Intuitive Surgical, Mountain View, CA). It consists of a surgeon’s console for surgical work, a surgical cart that houses the video and lighting equipment, and a robotic tower that supports three or four robotic arms.
The surgeon’s console provides the surgeon with a three-dimensional, 10×–magnified view through a binocular viewpoint. Interaction is through “masters” into which the surgeon’s hands are inserted. Free movement is possible from the masters to robotic instruments. Endoscopic instruments include graspers, hooks, scissors, knives, and surgical energy devices.
