About the Surgery and Patient Safety

All surgeries, including da Vinci robot surgeries, have the potential for serious complications, and patients should consult their doctors before undergoing robot surgery. The da Vinci System may only be operated by surgeons with adequate robotic training and experience. Training by Intuitive Surgical only includes the use of its products and is not a substitute for the medical training and experience needed to perform surgery in general, so patients should ask their surgeons about their experiences and results using the da Vinci System before having an operation. [1]

The system is designed to perform minimally invasive procedures such as urologic surgery, gynecologic surgery, and heart surgery while under the control of a trained physician. The system is meant to help surgeons with their procedures and does not move on its own. Although it is called “robotic surgery,” the surgery is technically performed by a human.

The da Vinci Surgical System is used on adults and, except for the head and neck areas, in children as well. Surgeons may choose not to use robotic surgery for the same reasons they may choose to not use traditional minimally invasive procedures. Patients who bleed easily, have abnormal blood clotting, are pregnant, or morbidly obese are generally not candidates for any type of minimally invasive surgery. [1]

Some risks associated with robotic and minimally invasive surgery include:

• The need for more incision sites
• Longer operation time
• Longer operations could include longer periods of anesthesia, which could lead to further complications [1]

Results may vary.

Sources:

[1] Da Vinci Surgery. (n.d.) Important patient safety information. Retrieved from http://www.davincisurgery.com/da-vinci-surgery/safety-information.php