Robotic-Assisted Surgery Helps Save Kidney Functions


Robotic-assisted partial nephrectomy is a treatment method used to treat chronic kidney diseases, such as kidney cancer, with minimal loss of kidney function – a smaller amount even than patients with normal kidney functions, according to online media sources. The study supports robotic-assisted partial nephrectomy as an alternative to open surgery for patients with chronic kidney conditions because decreases in kidney function after the procedure appear minimal. Partial nephrectomy or kidney-sparing surgery removes only the diseased part of the kidney sparing the healthy, functioning kidney tissue.

 For many patients, the kidney-sparing approach called robotic partial nephrectomy, is an option. This complex procedure uses the daVinci Surgical System to remove only the cancerous portion of the kidney, preserving as much of the unaffected kidney as possible. Using the system’s 3-D magnification, surgeons are able to precisely identify cancerous kidney tumors, as well as the healthy tissue, and remove the affected tissue through small incisions in the patient’s abdomen.

 Chronic kidney diseases are a growing public health concern. With robot-assisted partial nephrectomy (RPN), doctors can save kidneys and preserve kidney function in patients who need it most. Outcomes of patients who had pre-existing chronic kidney disease with decreased kidney function before surgery were compared against those with normal kidney function. Kidney function was measured according to each patient's glomerular filtration rate, which estimates the overall performance of the intricate system of cleansing filters in the kidneys.

Despite all of the advances in robotics, the ability to provide the operator of a robotic system with a sense of touch (haptics) still remains a significant problem. This is no more dramatically illustrated than in the use of robots in surgical procedures. Some of the world's most advanced minimally invasive surgical robots still do not allow the surgeons who operate them to feel what they are doing through their robotic surrogates. As a result, these robotic systems are used to perform only a small fraction of their overall capability. The loss of tactile feedback limits the range of surgical techniques and affects the     surgeon’s dexterity. Often vibration is used to mimic sensation but you do not want to introduce vibration into a delicate procedure. 

Intuitive Surgical, the maker of a popular surgical robotic system known as da Vinci, has updated its financial disclosure for the fourth quarter of 2013. The manufacturer has been reported to faced a number of lawsuits filed by injured patients due possible complications resulting from the use of these surgical         robots.

 

 

References:

  •  gwroboticsurgery.com/treatments/kidney-surgery
  • eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2014-01/hfhs-skc011314.php
  • sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/01/140113125154.htm
  • mysoochi.com/news/2014/01/14/robot-assisted-surgery-may-preserve-kidney-function/



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