UMass Memorial was the first academic medical center to offer robotic surgeries across four different cancer specialties. And our colon and rectal specialists use robotic-assisted surgery to treat a wide array of conditions, such as rectal cancer resections and rectal prolapse repair.
Key advantages of robotic surgery
Robotic surgery allows the specialist to make much smaller cuts - and operate with more precision. Benefits may include:
- Less pain
- Less risk of infection and complications
- Less blood loss and fewer transfusions
- Shorter hospital stays
- Faster recovery
- Less scarring
- Quicker return to normal activities
How robotic surgery works
Robotic surgery is the most advanced type of minimally invasive surgery available. Think of it as enabling surgeons to see things larger and move more precisely. Here's how it works:
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The surgeon makes tiny incisions, typically less than one-half inch.
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Robotic "arms," controlled by the surgeon, insert miniaturized instruments tipped with a small 3-D camera.
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The surgeon views images from this camera on a high-definition computer monitor just a few feet from the patient. These images are magnified 10 times larger than the normal eye can see - and twice as big as even traditional laparoscopes.
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Guided by these clear, enlarged images, the surgeon moves the robotic arms, which replicate his/her exact hand movements.
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The surgeon completes the necessary procedures, using the robotic assistance to make his/her movements even more precise.
This is just one of the many medical advances that you can conveniently access at UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester, MA.
Other medical advances: