Laparoscopic surgery. A bunch of tiny incisions are made in one’s abdomen through which instruments are inserted- so surgeons can sew, cut, and manipulate tissue.

Before this was around, a surgeon would make a 6 to 12 inch incision in the belly of the patient, giving them sufficient room to see what they were doing- and to reach the parts of the body that were the surgeon’s targets.

This means scarring is much lower, there’s less pain as one heals, and we get out of the hospital quicker, with full recovery weeks earlier, thanks to laparoscopic surgery.    Nowadays, surgeons choose the laparoscopic method more than a million times a year.

These procedures led to the development and approval of the Da Vinci robot.   Its specific uses are likely to be for the removal of gallbladders, hysterectomies, and prostate removal.

Now, a new advance is being proposed.  Call the STAR device (Smart Tissue Autonomous Robot), it has been developed by Drs. H. Saedi, J. D. Opfermann, M. Kam, S. Wei, S. Leonard, U. Kangand, and A. Krieger of Johns Hopkins along with Dr. M. H. Hsieh of Children’s Hospital (DC).  This device, as described in Science Robotics, is basically a high-tech camera, linked up with an even higher-tech sewing machine. It will render suturing more consistent and more accurate.

The high tech camera is a 3-dimensional endoscope (using light energy) with tracking algorithms that guide the device.   Relying on these computer algorithms lets the suture device “feel” and “see” using that high tech camera.  The generated 3D image is enhanced with lasers and sensors that detect pressure from breathing, soft tissue, and bleeding.

Now, this new device doesn’t generate thousands of stitches- instead it produces a stitch a minute (which is slightly slower than what an experience surgeon would produce).   But, the stitches are far more consistent.

As is true for other “robots”, a high degree of training is going to be required to proficient with the device.  But, the fact that this is autonomous means it can really extend the skills of the surgeons.

Right now, it has only been used on a pig.  It effected intestinal anastomosis, a challenging procedure, replete with repetitive motions that demand high precision.  (Connecting two ends of the intestine is probably the most difficult in gastrointestinal surgery- a hand tremor or a missed stitch is the difference between a successful surgery and a leak [with disastrous patient outcomes.])

I can’t wait to see how it works on humans.

Share this: