It would be hard to imagine sensitivity on this issue. Whenever technology gets involved in a certain practice, the hand skilled labourers always get sensitive. It happened with factory workers, artists, know-it-alls and horse carriage drivers, but technology is now saving lives, which can’t be bad. In 2009, New York Methodist Hospital performed their first robot-assisted surgery – and haven’t looked back. They have begun to enlist the aid of these soulless creatures for more applications and to treat more conditions than ever before.
Anthony Tortolani, M.D., chairman of surgery at the NYM, fully supports the use of machines in these procedures. With Richard Lazzaro, M.D., chief of thoracic surgery, the two of them spoke of the increasing benefits of the change.
With the use of robotic surgery, surgeons manage much less pain for the patients, as well as a large decrease in the scarring and the amount of time the patients take to recover from the episodes.
The Da Vinci robotic surgical system is the one to thank. With only a small incision, a 3D image of the area in need of work is taken. Then, a surgical procedure is managed on just the target section, with minimal disruption to the unaffected tissue. At the moment, the robotic surgical system is being used in such specialty areas as thoracic surgery, urology, surgical oncology, gynecology and bariatric surgery.
It seems quite shocking, to hear this has been happening for almost three years. A common reaction is that it might be quite disconcerting that it is no longer a human being slicing and thrashing, carefully aware of the very real potential of pain, and bodily effect possible, but instead the matte, attractively designed limbs of the Da Vinci system are up to the elbows. However, with the use of the robot, the surgeon peers through a magnifying lens, to enlarge the troubled area, the maintenance of the bloodied skin and excess matter obstructing the view is much better taken care of, and on top of this the surgeon operates small futuristic joysticks that control the tools of healing. Another grand step forward in the maintenance of our aching, breaking bodies, until one day, when our torn hearts can finally be solved by a blue orb of light and a humming sound.
