Global status of the robotic thoracic surgery

Abstract

Robotics has taken its place in thoracic surgery since the end of the 20th century. Since then, it has been developed worldwide with many different applications, such as the treatment of mediastinal tumors and lung cancer. Although, the contradictory results comparing this new technology to other minimally invasive techniques may raise some skepticism, the high quality of the instrument and images provided by the robot brings a whole new perspective for the thoracic surgeon, since the robotic platform can ally the ease of movement obtained with open technique with the advantages of the minimally invasive surgery. When it comes to the implementation of a robotic program the costs of RATS are an important issue. However, it is necessary to take into account not only the cost of the robotic platform itself but also the maintenance expenses, disposable tools, and training programs. Nevertheless, the cost of the robotic surgery is expected to decrease in the coming years and like the instrumentation, virtual reality will see improvements. Many different countries around the world have contributed with original articles for the development of the robotic thoracic surgery and in this paper, we aim at describing the global status of the robotic thoracic surgery.

Clinical Efficacy of Thoracoscopic Surgery with the da Vinci Surgical System versus Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery for Lung Cancer

“…Thus, there exists an urgent need to explore more refined, optimized, and minimally invasive surgical options [ 13 ]. The da Vinci surgical system is a new generation of robotic surgery systems developed at the beginning of the 21st century [ 14 ], which has been applied in many fields such as thoracic surgery, urology, and general surgery successively, and provided satisfactory treatment efficiency [ 15 , 16 ]. RATS features a sophisticated system and convenient operating functions, provides a clear surgical field of view, and substantially reduces surgeon fatigue during surgery and the risk of intraoperative mistakes, thereby safeguarding the patients' safety [ 17 , 18 ].…”

The State of the Art in Thoracic Surgery: Treating Lung Cancer Between Tradition and Innovation

“…On the other hand, it has been demonstrated in several studies that, in comparison with open thoracotomy, robotic approach appears to have an overall cost benefit due to the significant decrease in length of hospital stay (45). It is estimated that, in 2015, approximately 15% of the lobectomies were performed with a robotic system in the USA (54).…”

Thoracic surgery in Brazil: an overview

“…This is proving to be important not only for Brazilian thoracic surgeons, but also for colleagues from other Latin American countries, who are now being able to become familiar with this new technology more easily than it would be if they had to go to North America or Europe to get trained. The lack of publications still precludes a wider look over the results of RATS in Brazil, as well in Latin America ( 17 ).…”