Will robotic technology revolutionize the field of surgery as laparoscopic surgery did in the 1990s?
- Robotic surgery has exponentially expanded over the past decade and is currently being explored in almost every surgical subspecialty.
- Distinct advantages to robotic surgery are three-dimensional imaging, increased optics, and improved ergonomics for the surgeon.
- Decreased haptics and increased operative times are some of the main drawbacks.
- Additionally, the expense may not justify the incremental improvement compared with laparoscopic surgery for many procedures that is readily observed when comparing laparoscopic surgery to open surgery.
- For select anatomic regions and select patients, robotic surgery will eventually occupy a niche, especially as robotic platforms improve and expense decreases.
