Robotic Surgery: Currently and in the Near Future

Abstract

The da Vinci system was developed by the request of the United States Army in the 1980s for the purpose of remote treatment during times of war. Its clinical indication, mostly prostate cancer, in advanced medical care gradually expanded and there were over 8000 patients in 2014 who underwent robotic surgery.

The advantages of robotic surgery over endoscopic surgery include several aspects such as function of multiarticulate clamps, three-dimensional images, filtering function for eliminating hand tremors, and scaling function to adjust the operator’s movement. To clarify the clinical superiority for robotic surgery, some randomized control studies were conducted by now. The results of a trial for rectal cancer were released recently, and it was unable to draw the conclusion that robotic surgery was superior to laparoscopic surgery. The widespread of costly robotic surgery may be impeded in consideration of the cost-benefit balance if it lacks overwhelming superiority to inexpensive laparoscopic surgery. As the next step, it is expected that the “demand for new robotic surgery” that is more acceptable in clinical practice will increase as a result of new technological innovations and the appropriate reflection of clinical needs.