surgery, or have a condition affecting the colon or another organ,
robotic-assisted surgery may be an option. Although “robotic” is in the
title, a robot isn’t performing your surgery. It’s your surgeon who
performs and controls the surgery. Robotic-assisted surgery is minimally
invasive surgery performed by surgeons using the da Vinci® surgical system.
The da Vinci system allows surgeons to perform a wide range of surgeries
through a few small cuts (incisions). Because the surgeon makes only small
cuts, robotic-assisted surgery is minimally invasive. Minimally invasive
surgery is an alternative to traditional open surgery, where the surgeon
makes a cut large enough to look inside your body and operate. The da Vinci
system makes it possible for your surgeon to operate through incisions that
are about the size of a dime.
From a console, your surgeon uses their hands to control a camera and
surgical instruments to perform the procedure. The da Vinci camera and
vision system deliver 3D high-definition views, giving your surgeon a
crystal-clear view of the surgical area that is magnified 10 times to what
the human eye sees. During surgery, the da Vinci system translates your
doctor’s hand movements in real time. The tiny instruments move like a
human hand but with an even greater range of motion, bending and rotating
with smooth precision.
Since it was introduced in 1999, surgeons have used the da Vinci system to
perform over 12 million surgeries in all 50 U.S. states and 70 countries
around the world.
