If you are in need of cardiothoracic surgery there are places using the latest in technology that help speed up your recover and improve your chances of less trauma to your body. The name of this technology is the da Vinci robot and it is one of the latest developments in surgical technology. This robot does not operate on you like R2D2 could. It doesn't have any computing power with which to think on its own. It is more of an extension of the surgeon's arms and allows the surgeon to be very precise. Surgeons are very good at what they do and many have extremely fine motor skills but it is hard to be as precise as a robot can be. The robot doesn't move unless you move it. It doesn't shake unless there is an earthquake and it doesn't have any second doubts. With this precision comes a few benefits.
One is the size of the incision. A smaller incision results in less blood loss and less trauma to the operation site on the body. This often results in a quicker recovery time and less scarring. These incisions can also save the patient from the pain and trauma of sternotomy and rib spreading and allows the incisions to be made on the side of the body. This type of robotic heart surgery also may result in less risk of infection, less blood loss and need for blood transfusions, a shorter hospital stay, faster recovery, considerably less pain and scarring and a quicker return to normal activities. The long term survival rate may also be improved. Some forms of robotic surgery also have other advantages.
One common use of the da Vinci robot is to repair the mitral valve as an alternative to open heart surgery. This operation allows the surgeon to use very small incisions and have unparalleled precision to repair the valve while possibly increasing the likelihood of success without using artificial valves. There is a great deal of information on this topic that is available for those who may be candidates for this type of surgery. Repair to the valve is preferable in many cases and may provide you with many significant advantages as compared to having the valve replaced with and artificial valve. Some of these advantages may include not having to take life-long blood thinners, less need for a reoperation, reduced risk of some surgical complications, improved heart function and a higher probably of a long term survival rate. Some studies show that the da Vince robotic operating system may allow surgeons to complete as much as fifty percent more repairs to the valve than they could using an open surgical approach. As with any surgery these benefits cannot be guaranteed even though using the da Vinci robot is considered safe and effective, it may not be appropriate for every individual.
If you are a potential candidate for cardiothoracic surgery then you may want to consider checking with your doctor to see if using the da Vinci robot is an alternative for you. Robotic heart surgery may be an incredible advantage in some surgeries both today and in the future.
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