Page 2 - World Journal of Laparoscopic Surgery

Editorial

The arrival of robotic surgery technology at the turn of the millennium has ushered in a
new era in minimal access surgery. The reason behind the use of robotic surgery lies in
the inherent advantages over conventional laparoscopic surgery, which include superior
ergonomics, remote sensing technology, enhanced magnification, three-dimensional
vision, motion scaling, tremor filtering, enhanced dexterity, precision, and control of
operating instruments. Nowadays, the rapid adaptation of the technology and technique,
together with aggressive marketing by intuitive surgical, has captured the imagination of
the doctors and patients alike.
If we think from the patients’ perspective, this translates to smaller incisions, decreased blood loss, less
pain, and quicker healing time and consequently reduction in hospital stay. Robotic surgery allows the
surgeon with less previous laparoscopic training to provide the patients with the advantages of minimal
access surgery. For the laparoscopically trained surgeon, it enables operating at a superior level with greater
precision and accuracy. Among the surgical fraternity, urologists were one of the earliest to truly realize the
immense potential of robotic surgery.
Robotic surgery has initiated a paradigm shift in the fundamental foundations of surgery. Robotic radical
prostatectomy has now become a validated treatment option for localized prostate cancer. There are now
more than 25 robots in India, and there has been an exponential rise in the utilization rates.
In the present Indian scenario, robotic technology has not entered the mainstream health care system; there
is a lack of access to the technology and a deficit in educational opportunities. Young Indian surgeons and
gynecologists wishing to specialize in robotic surgery need to go abroad to get trained in robotic surgery. We
have started for the first time in Asia the Fellowship of International College of Robotic Surgeons. We are now
regularly publishing robotic surgery articles in the World Journal of Laparoscopic Surgery. Robotic surgery
in India is here to stay and it is up to us as minimally invasive surgeons across different specialties to lead the
way and make maximum use of robotic surgery.

RK Mishra
Editor-in-Chief
World Journal of Laparoscopic Surgery
Chairman
World Laparoscopy Hospital
Gurgaon, Haryana, India

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