The Pros and Cons of Robotic and Minimally Invasive Surgery

Yale Medicine surgeons use advanced minimally invasive surgery techniques for both routine and complex cases. This technology reduces pain, blood loss and recovery time as well as tissue damage while protecting surrounding structures from being damaged by surgery.

As with any surgical procedure, robotic surgery comes with its own set of advantages and disadvantages; therefore, it’s wise to discuss it with your healthcare provider to determine the most suitable approach to take for your particular medical condition.

Less pain

Under the direction of an experienced surgeon, robotic surgery has fewer risks and complications than traditional methods; however, both procedures carry inherent risks. Your surgeon will consider them when suggesting the optimal procedure for your condition.

Minimally invasive surgeries involve smaller incisions with reduced blood loss and scarring. Minimal hospital stays and quicker recovery times often follow; in fact, you could return home the day following your procedure!

However, this doesn’t apply to every patient or condition. Sometimes a minimally invasive surgery must be modified into more invasive surgery; up to 8 percent of robotic and laparoscopic operations reported this need for modification for various reasons, including anesthesia issues or complications with devices being used during surgery.

Less blood loss

Many patients report less discomfort and blood loss with robotic surgery compared to traditional procedures; however, results vary based on patient and procedure type.

Under robotic surgery, surgeons make multiple small incisions into the body to insert a thin camera called a laparoscope and robotic arms. From an adjacent console, these tools are controlled.

Surgeons can use noninvasive approaches such as your mouth or nose to access and perform surgery on you, including complex procedures that might not be possible through traditional means, as well as treating conditions once thought inoperable.

Minimally invasive surgery reduces surgical trauma and post-op pain for faster healing, reduced risk of infection and prevented complications like leaks from the wound. Consult your urologist regarding whether minimally invasive surgery is right for you – they’ll explain the differences between robotic and traditional surgeries as well as what to expect with each method.

Less risk of infection

Contrary to traditional surgery, minimally invasive surgeries carry less of an infection risk due to their minimal incisions, which allow your surgeon to have a clear view of the surgical area and help avoid complications like blood clots. Furthermore, recovery times tend to be faster so you’re back doing normal activities sooner.

Non-robotic minimally invasive surgery (such as laparoscopic or endoscopic surgery) allows your physician to make small cuts in the skin or no cuts at all before inserting a scope equipped with camera and special surgery tools into your body. Your physician can view images of your problem on a monitor before using this scope to correct it.

Although robotic surgery offers lower complication rates than traditional procedures, its own systems can sometimes fail to perform optimally. Establishing more standard training and credentialing models as well as improving reporting systems for robotic-associated adverse events could further ensure its safety.

Less scarring

Surgeons using minimally invasive surgery (MIS) tend to produce less blood loss, less infection risk and reduced scarring than with traditional procedures – thus helping patients recover faster and return to their daily lives more quickly.

Under minimally invasive surgery (MIS), surgeons make one or more small incisions at the treatment site and insert an endoscope, followed by special surgery tools and instruments through ports located along its length. From a console nearby, they control these instruments remotely.

Although robotic surgery offers numerous benefits, it may not be appropriate for every patient. Because the outcome of robotic procedures depends on their surgeon’s skill and experience, it’s vital that patients find one familiar with its techniques. One study on gynecological surgeries showed robot-assisted procedures took as much as 265 minutes while laparoscopic ones could be completed in under an hour.