Recent advances in robotic surgery

There are two types of robot systems currently available for endoscopic surgery: one is the "AESOP System" (Automated Endoscopic System for Optimal Positioning) and the other is the "master-slave manipulator system" including the da Vinci System and ZEUS System. In 1997, the "master-slave manipulator system" was introduced in the clinical field for endoscopic surgery. Since March of 2000, we have used the da Vinci Surgical System, which consists of a surgeon's console, a patient-side cart, a high-performance vision system, and proprietary instruments. We performed surgery using the da Vinci Surgical System in 24 cases with benign abdominal diseases: laparoscopic esophageal surgery in 13 cases, laparoscopic cholecystectomy in 10, and inguinal hernia repair in 1. It takes 10-15 minutes to set up the da Vinci Surgical System. There was no morbidity or mortality related to the use of this system for surgery. Surgery using the da Vinci Surgical System is considered feasible, safe, and useful. Robotic surgery using the da Vinci System or ZEUS System should be improved appropriately, but is promising.