 da Vinci Surgical System | |
| Manufacturer | Intuitive Surgical |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Year of creation | 2000; 25 years ago (2000) (initial FDA clearance) |
| Type | Medical |
| Purpose | Medical technology |
| Website | www |
Theda Vinci Surgical System is arobotic surgical system that uses aminimally invasive surgical approach. The system is manufactured by the companyIntuitive Surgical. The system is used forprostatectomies, increasingly forcardiac valve repair and forrenal[1] andgynecologic surgical procedures.[2][3]
It was used in an estimated 200,000 surgeries in 2012, most commonly forhysterectomies andprostate removals.[4] The system is called "da Vinci" in part becauseLeonardo da Vinci's study ofhuman anatomy eventually led to the design of the first knownrobot in history.[5]
The system has been used in the following procedures:
The da Vinci System consists of a surgeon's console that is typically in the same room as the patient, and a patient-side cart with three to four interactive robotic arms (depending on the model) controlled from the console. The arms hold objects, and can act asscalpels,scissors,bovies, or graspers. The final arm controls the 3D cameras.[7] The surgeon uses the controls of the console to manoeuvre the patient-side cart's robotic arms. The system always requires a human operator.
TheFood and Drug Administration (FDA) cleared the da Vinci Surgical System in 2000 for adult and pediatric use inurologic surgical procedures, generallaparoscopic surgical procedures, gynecologic laparoscopic surgical procedures, general non-cardiovascular thoracoscopic surgical procedures, and thoracoscopically assisted cardiotomy procedures.
While the use of robotic surgery has become an item in the advertisement of medical services, there is a lack of studies that indicate long-term results are superior to results followinglaparoscopic surgery.[8] Critics of robotic surgery assert that it is difficult for users to learn.[3] The da Vinci system usesproprietary software, which cannot be modified by physicians, thereby limiting the freedom to modify the operating system.[4] The system has a cost of $2 million which places it beyond the reach of many institutions.[9]
The manufacturer of the system, Intuitive Surgical, has been criticized[10] for short-cutting FDA approval by a process known as510(k) premarket notification instead of entering the market through a more stringentpremarket approval process. The company has also been accused of providing inadequate training and encouraging healthcare providers to reduce the number of supervised procedures required before a doctor is allowed to use the system without supervision.[11]
There have also been claims of patient injuries caused by stray electrical currents released from inappropriate parts of the surgical tips used by the system. Intuitive Surgical counter this argument by saying the same type of stray currents can occur in non-robotic laparoscopic procedures.[12] A study published in theJournal of the American Medical Association found that side effects and blood loss in robotically-performed hysterectomies are no better than those performed by traditional surgery, despite the significantly greater cost of the system.[13][14] As of 2013[update], the FDA was investigating problems with the da Vinci robot, including deaths during surgeries that used the device; a number of related lawsuits were also underway.[15]
A group of surgeons and Da Vinci Xi surgical robot in Dubai have performed a surgery on an Emirati patient who was suffering from a blockage in the upper part of the ureter,