Robots in surgery: a new application of Da Vinci
Surgical robot "taught" to remove hard-to-reach throat tumors
Copper news based on the materials of the University of California, Los Angeles:
UCLA researcher develops robotic surgery technique to treat previously inoperable head and neck cancerAmerican scientists have developed a robotic surgical technique that allows deep access to the head and neck.
This safe technique can be used to remove tumors that were considered inoperable or required highly invasive surgery in combination with chemotherapy or radiotherapy. The research data is published in the journal Head & Neck.
The parapharyngeal region, located in the near-pharyngeal space, lies at the base of the skull and connects the deep areas of the head and neck. Many large vessels, nerves and complex facial muscles pass through this area, and therefore access to it by conventional surgical methods is impossible or highly aggressive. The methods of removing tumors from this area that exist today in surgical practice may require external incisions in the neck, insertion through the jaw bones or the area near the larynx. Chemo or radiation therapy is often necessary, which further complicates the recovery of patients and increases the risk of serious side effects and even death.
The innovative transoral technique uses the capabilities of the Da Vinci robotic surgical system with a specially developed program for neck and head operations by scientists from the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA). The minimally invasive procedure is performed by a surgical robot using a high-definition three-dimensional camera and robotic "hands" under the full control of a specially trained doctor.
The robot's miniature limbs can pass through small and narrow areas in the patient's mouth and throat without the need for external incisions. The system allows the surgeon to see the entire operated area at once, every movement of the surgeon's wrist and fingers are transformed into the corresponding movements of surgical instruments. The new technique has already brought great benefits to patients with tumors located in the throat near the tonsils and tongue, but it continues to be adapted and expanded.
A robot under the supervision of a surgeon removes a hard-to-reach throat tumor. Illustration from the website ucla.edu
Currently, Professor Abie Mendelsohn and his colleagues who developed it have already performed more than 100 successful operations on patients with hard-to-reach tumors. Among them is David Alpern, who was diagnosed with cancer in 2012. The traditional treatment options offered to him by doctors sounded worse than the diagnosis itself. "Doctors described a procedure in which your face is literally divided in half and then reconstructed. I was in complete shock," he said.
After a thorough examination and examination of images of the tumor area, Mendelson and his colleagues decided that he was an ideal candidate for transoral robotic surgery. Alpern successfully underwent an innovative operation to remove a tumor in his throat, and now he feels quite healthy.
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru15.12.2014