Challenges and Opportunities in Thoracic Robotic Surgery

Abstract

Robotic surgery is a platform for minimally invasive thoracic surgery with similar general advantages as in VATS (Video Assisted Thoracic Surgery) including small incisions, faster recovery, minimal blood loss and shorter hospital stay. The extra advantages of using a robotic platform in thoracic surgery include a three-dimensional surgical view, elimination of physiological tremors, and enabling surgical manipulation in a natural orientation because of the presence of forceps that move in the same manner as human wrist joints. These advantages allow more complex procedures to be performed safely and easier technically, thus leading to better outcomes and improvement in the overall result. As a new advance in thoracic surgery, it has challenges that may become the reason why this technique has difficulty being adopted by a number of surgeons including cost, advancement in VATS technique and instrumentation. Despite the challenges, robotic thoracic surgery offers the platform for the expansion and improvement of thoracic surgery. Development in instrument technologies and designs, in addition to progress and interest in other futuristic technology, are notable opportunities for thoracic robotic surgery.