Anyone who’s had a medical operation knows that it can be such a source of pain.
Traditional surgical procedures are invasive in nature, causing certain amount of trauma to implement a course of treatment. Many internal complaints require long incisions that take time to heal, not to mention an increase in the chances of infection. Rather than offer a quick remedy for an illness, the patient is left to recuperate on his sickbed for a period of time.
However, latest advancements in medical technology allow individuals to opt for a less traumatic approach to their care. The introduction of robotic surgery easily avoids all the complications brought about by most operations.
Now hailed as the future of surgical procedures, The Medical City (TMC) has been offering robotic surgeries since 2010 for procedures that target difficult and hard-to-reach areas. This signals its position as one of the most technologically advanced health institutions in the country, at par with leading centers in the world.
A press event was recently held to relaunch TMC’s Robotics Surgery program with the acquisition of its second robot, the more advanced Da Vinci Si surgical system.
In robotic-assisted surgery, the surgeon performs the procedure by manipulating robotic arms from a special viewing and control console. The arms wield fine surgical instruments that are able to cut, dissect, and suture with full range of motion, as well as a camera that allows the surgeon to view the operative site in three dimensions, magnified up to 10 times.
Doctors at TMC have been using this innovation for urological, colorectal, and gynecological procedures, which focus on sensitive parts of the human body.
Dr. Julius Cajucom, TMC urologist and head of the Robotics Surgery Program of The Medical City, says prostate surgeries target a “tight area” in the body.
“The degree of difficulty is so great,” explains Cajucom. “The area is very tight, and movements are so limited.” The use of the robot makes the operation in the said areas more convenient and easier.
The advantages of robotic surgeries are manifold. Compared to open surgeries, it only makes tiny incisions on the patient’s body where holes are made, as in laparoscopic procedures. Through these holes, the arms of the machine are inserted to perform the needed operation within the patient’s body. The doctor operates the robot through a console that allows him to see the inside of the patient without having to open him up. Since the patient has smaller incisions, the chances of infection from external causes are minimized.
“It is less traumatic, less bloody, causes less pain post-operatively, and promotes faster recovery,” says Cajucom.
Likewise, Dr. Kristine Hazel Katimbang, TMC robotic gynecologic surgeon, says robotic surgery is beneficial for many gynecological procedures, such as hysterectomies, myomectomies, and excising ovarian cysts, endometrial cancer and cervical cancer.
Katimbang adds that many patients who undergo robotic surgery leave the hospital in just a day or two.
“Since there is no pain, they can move easily. They can eat well after a procedure, which isn’t the case compared with an open surgery,” she says. “Since there are no long incisions, there is less pain, less stress, and less agony. You cannot imagine how doctors feel when they see their patients with smiles on their faces after robotic surgery.”
The Medical City has highly qualified personnel to perform robotic surgeries, from doctors to nurses. All of them trained with the leading health institutions abroad.
While the procedure is presently available for urologic, colorectal, and gynecological operations, Katimbang says it can also be utilized for head and neck, trans-oral, thoracic, and vascular surgeries.
Patients no longer need to fear surgeries and their after effects on their bodies with robotic surgery. Robotics surgery provides an alternative to both traditional open and conventional laparoscopic surgery, putting the doctor’s hands at the controls of a state-of-the-art robotic platform. It enables physicians to perform even the most complex and delicate procedures through very small incisions with unmatched precision.
For more information about The Medical City’s Robotics Program, you may call the Department of Surgery at 9881000 or 9887000 ext. 6288 or visit themedicalcity.com.
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