Abstract
Purpose:
To demonstrate the technique of computer-assisted robot-enhanced surgery (CARES) for esophago-esophagostomy in an animal model the size of a human newborn.
Background:
The major enhancements offered by the Zeus® MicroWrist Robotic Surgical System (Zeus) for minimally invasive surgery are: tremor filtration, motion scaling, the addition of a wrist to the instruments, safe and rapid instrument exchange, and voice control of the view and instrument modifications. These allow the surgeon to take advantage of the magnification (10× to 15×) associated with endoscopic surgery.
Method:
Newborn piglets (2–3 kg) underwent a CARES esophago-esophagostomy.
Results:
The Zeus allowed precise needle placement, suture positioning, and knot tying in the very small working space with minimal assistance. Port placement is particularly important because of the small space available for working and to avoid the robotic arms interfering with each other extracorporeally.
Conclusion:
Zeus CARES facilitates a minimally invasive approach to complex surgery even in the limited space of the infant chest. The surgical tasks may be more precise and consistent, and the visualization better, than with open operations; however, a significant amount of work must be devoted to develop each procedure.
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