Clínico San Carlos deals with new surgical procedures using the Da Vinci robot

– surgery of obesity, radical excision of bladder and ganglia paraórticos in neck of uterus and endometrium cancer is already performed

– since its launch in Marchfive years ago, has been 800 procedures with this robotic surgery

Madrid, 2011-September the Hospital Clínico San Carlos of the community of Madrid has begun tackling new surgical procedures using the Da Vinci robot in three specialties in which has been working for five years: General Surgery and digestive system, urology and Gynecology. so, already is being carried out obesity surgery operations; radical resection of bladder in patients with cancer, and removal of lymph nodes – linfadenectomías aortoiliaca – in patients with cervical cancer. In Gynecology also are being carried out robotic surgery in initial stages of ovarian cancer patients with deep colovaginal septum endometriosis. These procedures are added to that has been doing for five years Clínico San Carlos when he joined the robot Da Vinci to its operating and which have already made a total of 800 interventions in patients with pathologies of the above-mentioned specialties.

This Madrid hospital has been the first public Spanish in having this modern technology designed by NASA that has carried out interventions pioneers, such as a cystectomy or removal radical bladder by urology service and first hysterectomy or radical removal of the uteruscarried out by Dr. Vidart, head of the service of gynaecology also, the first obstetric intervention in Spain with Da Vinci took place at this Centre in 2007 and was carried out by Dr. Javier Magriñá clinic mayUnited States, and consisted of the removal of a tumor of uterine neck through a radical hysterectomy. Of the total number of interventions in five years with this technology, 315 have been pathologies of general surgery and digestive, urological problems 315, and 170 in patients with gynecological diseases. Procedures in general surgery and digestive system that most have operated are bile problems, hernias, obesity surgery and colorectal surgery. In urology, the vast majority of patients operated with this robot were prostate problems, and in gynaecology, histerectomías.

Surgery of high accuracy and security

Robotic surgery is performed without the surgeon are in direct contact with the patient. Located in a control console equipped with a viewfinder in 3-D, the surgeon handles a few ergonomic controls compared in prowess to the human hand. Through these instructions are transmitted to the robot which is situated next to the operating table and through two arms reproduced accurately movements indicated by the surgeon and runs the intervention. A third arm holding an endoscopic camera 3-d

This surgery allows greater advantages over instruments laparoscopic and minimal traditional invaders. This progress is reflected in greater accuracy, with smaller scars, less anesthesia, less bleeding, and fewer transfusions of blood, less risk of infection, less time of hospitalization and quicker recovery for the patient, with less pain.

Robotic surgery is appropriate in those circumstances which require a dissection of accuracy of anatomical structures such as lymph nodes, vessels and nerves, or operations of tumors. It is also useful for stitched structures sensitive and difficult to display, or the prostate in the surgery of obesity.

Robotic surgery program

Clínico San Carlos joined the Da Vinci surgical techniques in 2006 thanks to the sponsorship of the Esther Koplowitz Foundation, launching at the same time of the surgery Robotics program, directed by Dr. Jesús Alvarez Fernández-Represa, head of the Department of General Surgery and digestive apparatus (I). This programme aims to achieve excellence, both in assisting patients in teaching and research aspects and incorporate Telepresence surgery or robotic to most of the surgical specialties. The activity carried out with this robot has turned Clínico San Carlos in a landmark not only in the health care field but also on the teaching that since its inception it is underway training surgeons and resident doctors in the specialties involved in it, both the Center and other hospitals in Spain and also the rest of the world.

So, are regularly scheduled theoretical-practical courses in robotic surgery and days of international character where interventions are live so that those attending the same viewable procedures at the time receiving explanations from specialists.

As regards research, the main objective is the continuous and systematic evaluation of surgical they carried out with the Telepresence surgery or procedures robotics. It specifically monitors exhaustive, both from a clinical point of view of the welfare and economic, by comparing the results obtained with standard laparoscopic surgery and also with conventional surgery, as well as the results of international studies. The research objective is therefore to assess the impact of the incorporation of the robotic surgery surgical publications-shaped activity, participation in scientific meetings and national and international studies.