Cor Vasa 2007, 49(2):71-73

Current potential applications of robotic surgical systems in vascular surgery

Petr Štádler^*, Petr Vitásek, Pavel Matouš

Oddělení cévní chirurgie, Nemocnice Na Homolce, Praha, Česká republika

Initially developed to meet the needs of the US Army, robotic systems have been employed for nonmilitary purposes since 2000. While robotics is quite commonly used in various branches of surgery, its application in vascular surgery is still in its infancy. The utilization of a robotic surgical system for vascular surgical procedures at the Prague-based Na Homolce Hospital currently represents a unique application of such a device in this area. A total of 50 robot-assisted reconstructive procedures in the aortoiliac region were performed there from November 2005 through December 2006. All these procedures were undertaken using a combination of conventional laparoscopy and the robotic surgical system. In all cases, the authors used their own modified transperitoneal approach which, when combined with the advantages of the robotic system, markedly shortens operative time compared with conventional laparoscopy. Based on their own experience, the authors discuss potential applications of the robotic system in vascular surgery.

Keywords: da Vinci robotic surgical system; Robotics; Laparoscopic technique; Transperitoneal approach

Published: February 1, 2007  Show citation