Frequently asked questions

Minimally invasive surgery is typically performed through small incisions or operating ports, resulting in faster recovery, fewer complications, lower hospitalization costs, and less trauma for the patient. While minimally invasive surgery has become the standard for certain procedures, it has not been widely adopted for more delicate or complex operations.

Intuitive Surgical believes that minimally invasive surgery is not widely used in more complex operations because fine maneuvers such as dissection and suturing are more difficult than in open surgery. The technology offered by Intuitive Surgical allows the use of minimally invasive surgical techniques for complex operations.

The da Vinci system is a robotic platform that enables the performance of complex procedures through 1-2 cm incisions or operating ports. To date, hundreds of thousands of procedures have been performed in general surgery, urology, gynecology, thoracoscopy, and thoracoscopically assisted cardiotomy.

Some of the major benefits offered using the da Vinci system compared to traditional techniques include greater surgical precision, increased range of motion, improved dexterity, better visualization, and improved access. Benefits for the patient include a shorter hospital stay, less pain, a lower risk of infection, less blood loss, reduced need for transfusions, smaller scars, faster recovery, and quicker return to normal activities. None of these advantages can be guaranteed, as results depend on both the patient and the specific procedure.

Complex procedures such as cardiac surgery require an excellent view of the surgical field and the ability to maneuver instruments with precision and control in confined spaces. Historically, surgeons have used approaches such as open sternotomy, which involves splitting the sternum and pulling the ribs apart, resulting in an incision of approximately 30 cm. This approach provides the necessary visibility and space for the surgeon to get their hands and instruments very close to the surgical field but at the cost of significant pain, blood loss, and a longer recovery time. More recently, smaller incisions are being used for certain cardiac procedures. However, many surgeons believe that small incisions limit their view and make access to the surgical field more challenging.

The da Vinci surgical system is currently used in hundreds of locations worldwide, including major centers in the United States, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, India, Japan, Spain, the Netherlands, Greece, Romania, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Turkey.

Despite the widespread use of minimally invasive or laparoscopic surgery in today’s hospitals, it is only employed in a few routine procedures. This is primarily due to the limitations of conventional laparoscopic technology, including video quality and the rigid instruments that surgeons must rely on to operate through small incisions.

In traditional open surgery, the surgeon makes a long incision, which is then widened to provide access. In conventional minimally invasive surgery, which is widely used for routine procedures, the surgeon operates using rigid, manually operated instruments inserted through small incisions and views the internal images on a standard monitor. Neither these laparoscopic instruments nor the video monitor provides the surgeon with the excellent visualization needed to perform complex procedures such as mitral valve repair or nerve-sparing prostatectomy.

The system provides a degree of “force feedback” from the surgical field during the procedure, which compensates for the lack of tactile sensitivity and is enhanced by the high-resolution three-dimensional image.

Although seated at a console a few meters away from the patient, the surgeon sees a real image of the surgical field while intervening in real-time through small incisions using miniature articulated instruments. The surgeon does not see a virtual image and does not program or command the execution of any maneuver independently without their direct real-time control.

On the contrary, the da Vinci system will enable the surgeon to be more precise, improving their technique and ability to perform complex procedures in a minimally invasive manner. The system reproduces the surgeon’s movements in real-time. It cannot be programmed, nor can it make decisions on its own to perform a surgical movement or maneuver without the surgeon’s command.

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the use of the da Vinci system for a wide range of procedures. Check the FDA website for specific approvals and primary uses.