Robotic surgery is on the rise: It now accounts for about 22% of surgeries performed in the United States. Health data shows that robot-assisted surgeries improve patient outcomes, but many people are still wondering, "What are they? And how do they work?"
For answers, we sat down with thoracic surgeon Dr. Johannes Kratz, medical director of the UCSF Robotic Surgery Program. Under his leadership, the program has grown year over year, with UCSF providers now performing robotic surgery for chest, stomach and intestinal, colon and rectal, urologic, gynecologic, heart, otolaryngological (ear, nose and throat), head and neck, and bariatric (obesity-related) conditions. Kratz shares common misconceptions about robotic surgery, explains why its use is rapidly expanding, and discusses which types of procedures typically benefit from this technology.
How does robotic surgery work?
Instead of the surgeon's hands being inside the patient during the operation, there are miniaturized robotic hands inside the patient that the surgeon controls. We are linked up to very sophisticated controllers that attach to our fingers. When we move our hands around in space, the robotic hands inside the patient move in the same way. It's like virtual reality when you put your hand inside a glove. And then, when you move the glove, you see the glove move on the computer screen. It's a very similar sort of interface.
What are some misconceptions about robotic surgery?
When people hear "robotic surgery," they imagine that the surgery is automated like a self-driving car. I commonly have to correct that misperception and explain that the surgeon is actually operating, and the robot is just an interface between the surgeon and the instruments.
To me, "robotic surgery" is a little bit of a misnomer. It is actually "robot-assisted surgery." It's a move from analog surgery, where the surgeon directly controls an instrument, to digital surgery, where the surgeon controls an instrument virtually through a very sophisticated computer-assisted interface several feet away from the patient.
