When considering surgical treatment options, many patients have concerns about safety. In particular, patients question whether da Vinci ® surgery is as safe as traditional methods.
In fact, the da Vinci® Surgical System has been used successfully in tens of thousands of minimally invasive procedures worldwide. In addition, da Vinci® offers multiple, redundant safety features, which make the most effective, least invasive approach potentially as safe as traditional surgical methods.
First and foremost, the da Vinci® System cannot be programmed, nor can it make decisions on its own. Instead, the da Vinci® System requires that every surgical maneuver be performed with direct input from your surgeon.
With da Vinci® Surgery, as with traditional methods, you are under the care of at least two medical professionals: Your surgeon as well as his or her supporting team. Your surgeon requires at least one assistant at your side during surgery. This team-member assists with tasks, such as switching between instruments, to provide your surgeon with the optimal da Vinci® instrument for the procedure step being performed.
Just a few feet away, your surgeon operates using the console controls. As your surgeon maneuvers the controls, da Vinci® scales, filters and translates his or her wrist and finger movements into precise movements of miniaturized instruments at the patient-side cart. Tremor reduction minimizes unintended movements, which means that da Vinci® instruments can move in a more precise manner than a human hand.
And because the da Vinci® patient cart does the work of holding and repositioning the instruments and camera – and because your surgeon operates while seated – surgeons can experience much less fatigue in performing surgery with the da Vinci® System.
Finally, during the course of an operation, the da Vinci® System will perform millions of safety self-checks. The System is designed to be fail-safe, which means that in the event of power interruption or a safety-check failure, the System is designed to shut down safely, allowing the surgeon to remain in control of the procedure.
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While clinical studies support the effectiveness of the da Vinci® System when used in minimally invasive surgery, individual results may vary. Surgery with the da Vinci® Surgical System may not be appropriate for every individual. Always ask your doctor about all treatment options, as well as their risks and benefits.