Gastric bypass and gastric sleeve can be performed by open, laparoscopic or robotic methods. In open surgery, a long incision is made in the midline of the patient’s abdomen. Laparoscopic method is performed with the help of camera and flat and thin instruments placed through small incisions made in the abdominal wall. Robotic surgery is a more advanced version of laparoscopic method.

In the da Vinci robotic surgical system, surgery is performed through small channels called ports placed through small incisions, as in laparoscopy. The surgeon performs the surgery by sitting in the console of the robotic system, and the surgical instruments of the robot perform the surgeon’s commands simultaneously.

What are the advantages of robotic surgery?

3D Camera

The Da Vinci robotic surgery system has two cameras, each displaying separate images. Thus, unlike laparoscopy, which provides 2-dimensional images, surgery is performed under 3-dimensional images with a sense of depth.  In addition, the operation area is enlarged by 10-12 times with these cameras. Since the camera is under the control of the surgeon, magnified images of the anatomical structures in deep and narrow areas can be obtained. Injuries that may occur during surgery can be minimized.

Surgical instruments

In contrast to laparoscopy using straight and non-twist instruments, the instruments on the arms of the robotic surgery system have the ability to move freely in 7 steps. The ends of these instruments can rotate 540 degrees around their axes and simulate the wrist movements of the human hand thanks to the ‘endowrist’ system.

With these instruments, surgery can be performed in very narrow and deep areas. In addition, with the “tremor scaling” feature of the robotic surgical system, possible handshakes are not transmitted to the instruments in the operation area during the operation, and errors related to human hands can be reduced in the interventions to be performed in risky areas.

Operation of Obesity Patients using Robotic Surgery System

In obese individuals, the fact that the intraabdominal fatty tissue is too high makes the operations technically difficult and increases the risk of switching to open surgery. Robotic surgery enables the obesity surgery to be performed more safely and effectively thanks to its  advantages mentioned above.