Robotic Total Mesorectal Excision

The da Vinci® robot (Intuitive Surgical; Sunnyvale, CA, USA) is a sophisticated surgical system that integrates a high-definition (HD), three-dimensional (3D) optical system and advanced robotic technology applied to minimally invasive surgery. The system allows the surgeon to perform surgical procedures by manoeuvring specifically designed surgical instruments connected to the robotic arms of a patient-side cart while seated at a console separate from the patient. The surgeon’s hand movements at the console are reproduced precisely at the operative field by the robotic instruments, in an intuitive manner. The potential advantages of robotic technology over standard 2D laparoscopic surgery include an immersive magnified 3D HD view with improved viewing resolution, improved hand dexterity due to filtering of the physiological tremor, motion scaling and a superior range of motions with seven degrees of angulation of the articulated robotic instruments. These technologies allow a stable platform for precision surgery to be performed in a confined space such as the pelvic cavity, as is required with rectal surgery.