Apr 29, 2008 9:41 pm US/Eastern
Robotic Surgery A Medical Breakthrough
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) ―
-
-
In the operating room, the surgeon is on the other side of the room controlling the robotics with more precision than if standing over the patient.
KDKA
Doctors at West Penn and Allegheny General hospitals are using a robot to perform surgery.
It's called DaVinci and it's the latest breakthrough in minimally-invasive robotic surgery.
Dr. Jay Lutins, Chief of Urology at West Penn Hospital, can perform a radical prostatectomy by making four to five small pokes in the abdomen and pelvis.
Normally, that's an open surgical procedure.
"For a prostatectomy or a radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer, we would make an incision maybe like this," he said holding his pointer fingers several inches apart, "and patients are going to be in the hospital three to four days on average."
In the operating room, the surgeon is on the other side of the room controlling the robotics with more precision than if standing over the patient. He uses foot pedals and robotics wrapped around his fingers to cut and sew.
Right now, DaVinci is only used on urology and gynecology patients. Dr. John Comerci, of West Penn Hospital, is on the cutting edge of hysterectomies which usually involves 7- to 10-inch incisions and four to five day recoveries.
"We've done about four or five. No complications. Patients were gone at 8 to 9 in the morning. They were eating a regular diet, no foley catheter, saw them within a week and they were all wanting to go back to work or ready to start on their therapy," Dr. Comerci said.
DaVinci might be used for heart valve surgeries by the end of the summer.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
Click to enlarge
Nation Gears Up For Fireworks To Mark July 4th 57 mins ago
Palin Hints At Bigger Plans In Facebook Posting 1 hr 18 mins ago 
Stumble It!
