What is Robotic Tubal Recanalization Surgery?

 

Robotic tubal recanalization surgery can also be termed as robotic assisted tubal reversal surgery. Robotic tubal recanalization surgery can be defined as a surgical procedure that involves the repair of the fallopian tubes by use of special robot instrument that is called the da Vinci robot. It is technically a robotic surgical system procedure.
 

The Da Vinci surgery represents the latest in surgical and robotics technology. This robotic surgical system involves two main components: the patient- side cart that is also referred to as the robot and he surgeon’s console also called the surgeons controls. Robotic assisted surgery is an advanced form of laparoscopic or the minimally invasive surgery since surgeons use a computer-controlled robot to assist them in certain surgical procedures.
 

This procedure is often very effective since the robot’s components have a high degree of dexterity thus allows the surgeons the ability to reach and operate very tight areas in the body that would otherwise only be accessible through the open surgery.

This procedure, by repairing the fallopian tubes it is known to restore women’s fertility. The repair happens by re-joining the separated parts of the fallopian tube and when it is performed successfully it gives women a chance to be fertile again.
 

Fallopian tubes convey a woman’s egg from her ovaries to the uterus. Fertilization takes place when the egg and sperm meet in the fallopian tube. However, if the fallopian tube is blocked or some of the segments are separated fertilization cannot take place. Therefore there’s need for an advanced procedure which happens to be the Da Vinci robotic tubal recanalization surgery to repair the fallopian tube.
 

How Da Vinci Tubal Robotic Recanalization is Performed

 

During this procedure the robot or the patient-side cart is placed close to the patient. Tis robot does not have wheels thus it has to be moved by the specialist performing the procedure. The patient-side cart has several arms, one of the arms is technically camera. This camera sends images of the internal organs to a high-definition monitor so that the operating specialist can view and accurately perform the procedure. The other arms are special surgical instruments. Each of the instruments has a task that it can perform including grasping, cutting, coagulating or irrigating. 
 

These arms with special surgical instruments are the ones the ones that are controlled by the surgeon during the whole procedure. Tubal robotic recanalization involves intensive hand-eye coordination. The surgeon visualizes the procedure on the high definition monitor and he performs the surgery using controllers that are located inside the surgeon’s console.

Tubal robotic recanalization involves the making of very small incisions and this generally result in less pain and faster recovery. Patients can return to their normal lives quickly. An incision s made at the end of the fallopian tube that is connected to the uterus and another opening created on the other side of the fallopian tube near the where the blood supply is. This procedure is actually performed as an outpatient surgery. The other traditional reversal techniques that involve larger abdominal incisions take a longer time to recover and get back to normal activities.
 

The visualisation in the monitor is so enhanced that the precision and dexterity of this procedure provide significant benefits when delicately repairing the fallopian tube. This makes Da Vinci tubal robotic recanalization the best procedure that can safely restore fertility in women.
 

The surgeon sits at the surgeon’s console that is positioned a short distance away from the patient. Here he effortlessly and smoothly moves the robot’s arms in steady movements as he performs the surgery.
 

Advantages of Da Vinci Tubal Recanalization Surgery 

 

• Increased range of motion- this procedure has a higher dexterity compared to the traditional minimally invasive procedure. The surgeon can control the robotic arms with ease and smoothly. With this procedure the surgeon is able to bale to operate on very tight spaces and reach areas that could be otherwise inaccessible if the traditional minimally invasive surgical procedures are used.
 

• Enhanced vision- this enables the surgeon to accurately move the special instruments as he performs the procedure. It makes it very possible to locate the segments on the fallopian tube that are blocked or separated in order to repair them properly.
 

• Mechanical precision- enhanced vision and the ease of movement of the robotic arms is what leads to the enhanced mechanical precision. This is required for the success of the surgery in restoring fertility.
 

• Reduced blood loss- Da Vinci tubal robotic recanalization involves making very small incisions. The surgeon uses robotic arms that have specialist instruments that make the small incisions in the abdomen. Smaller incisions greatly reduce loss of blood and the patient would not require blood transfusion. The traditional open surgical procedure involves large incisions and this leads to loss of a lot of blood. Patients at times would even require blood transfusion. 
 

• Less post-surgical pain- this procedure is significantly associated with less post-surgical pain. This is due to the small incisions that are made. The suturing of the incisions does not involve pain after surgery. Patients don’t require medication to reduce the pain unlike in the traditional open surgical method.
 

• Less scarring- the small incisions are sutured closed and when they heal, very insignificant scars are left. 
 

• Less likelihood of post-surgical complications or infections- robotic recanalization procedure involves very small incisions thus the internal organs are not exposed to any danger outside in the operating room. Therefore, this reduces the likelihood of infections occurring after the surgery. This is not usually the case in the traditional open surgery where the surgeon has to make a large cut in the abdomen such that the internal organs are exposed. This would put the internal organs at risk of being infected or having complications if they come into contact with contaminated objects.
 

• Shorter recovery period- Da Vinci Tubal robotic recanalization is usually performed as an out-patient surgery. Patients take a very short time to recover and hence get back to their normal lives.
 

Disadvantages of Da Vinci Tubal Robotic Recanalization

 

The advantage of this procedure are so many, however you would also want to consider the disadvantages before getting into the operating room. Here are some of the disadvantages.
 

• Very expensive- robotic recanalization is a more expensive procedure to perform than laparoscopic surgery. However, it is way better to have this procedure performed on a woman than the traditional open surgery. It is a minimally invasive approach to the patient and hence has an incredible value to patients.
 

• Takes longer time to perform- the Da Vinci tubal robotic recanalization is a complex surgical method, therefore, it takes quite a longer time to perform than the other traditional minimally invasive procedures. The patients are required to be anaesthesia longer. 
 

• Requires very skilled surgeons- robotic surgery requires very special skills thus the surgeons must go through a specialized surgical training in order to enhance their skills of performing the Da Vinci robotic tubal recanalization procedure successfully.
 

• Large robotic systems- the robotic systems are quite large and therefore it would be difficult to have both the surgical team and the robot systems to fit a small over-crowded operating room. The cost of creating enough room to accommodate this robot is usually high and hence it’s expensive to sue this technology.
 

• Lack of compatible instruments to be used together with the robot systems- the robot systems requires very specialist instruments that are compatible with it in order to perform the procedure. Some of the facilities may lack these instruments and therefore some operating specialists will have to rely on assistants to perform part of the surgery.
 

Many of these disadvantages of this procedure will be remedied with time. Advancements of technology will bring new innovation into the robot systems and even reduce the size of the robot systems. Advancements of this technology is projected to reduce the cost of this procedures and make it affordable to the affected patients.
 

Conclusion 
 

Da Vinci robotic tubal recanalization procedure has proved to be a very safe procedure on women. It is very effective in restructuring the fallopian tube and it is highly associated with high pregnancy rates compared to the traditional open surgical method.
 

Robotic recanalization has proved to be very effective especially in the areas that are difficult to access when using laparoscopic procedures. However, the cost of implementing this method is usually high especially at this early stage. The surgeons are required to go through an additional surgical training program in order to enhance their skills and become conversant with this new technological technique. This requires patients to be very careful when they are looking for an experienced surgeon. 
 

The benefits that are associated with this procedure are very many and they just can’t be compared to its disadvantages. The benefits of the usage of the Da Vinci robotic tubal recanalization overcome the cost to implement this robotic system. However, this cost need to be reduced with time in order to have these systems in many facilities.