Surgical robot speeds recovery time

Using the da Vinci surgical system, designed by Intuitive Surgical, [Daniel O'Hair] sat about 10 feet from the patient at a computer console that looked like a gigantic microscope -- complete with foot pedals for focusing. He guided the arms of the robot by moving his fingers, connected by Velc...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inKnight Ridder Tribune News Service p. 1
Main Author Kawanza L. Griffin and John Fauber
Format Newsletter
LanguageEnglish
Published Washington Tribune Content Agency LLC 04.09.2002
Subjects
Jones, Bessie
O Hair, Daniel
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Summary:Using the da Vinci surgical system, designed by Intuitive Surgical, [Daniel O'Hair] sat about 10 feet from the patient at a computer console that looked like a gigantic microscope -- complete with foot pedals for focusing. He guided the arms of the robot by moving his fingers, connected by Velcro rings to a master controller that translated his movements into smooth, real-time motion of the surgical instruments inside the patient. Originally developed in the 1980s to allow military surgeons to operate at a safe distance from the battlefield, the system has evolved and is now used for general laparoscopic surgery, removal of gall bladders, elimination of gastric reflux, isolation of internal mammary arteries for bypass, radical prostate removal and reattachment of fallopian tubes, he said. St. Luke's hopes to perform its first bypass operation using the device in the near future. That first operation still will require that a surgeon make a manual incision to allow the robotic arms to reach into the chest cavity.