Are You Ready to Take Off as a Robo-surgeon?

Robotic-assisted surgery is the latest iteration toward less invasive techniques. Surgeons have slowly adapted minimally invasive and robotics techniques into their armamentarium. We have developed a robotic cardiac surgery program in Japan that utilizes the da Vinci Surgical System, allowing the surgeon to perform complex procedures through 5-mm port sites rather than a traditional median sternotomy. In this rapidly evolving field, we review the evolution and clinical results of roboticassisted surgery and take a look at the other general surgical procedures for which da Vinci currently being used.