Robotic Surgery – Colectomies, Inguinal, and Incisional Hernias Following the Path of the Prostate
The Lesson From the Robotic Prostate
In 2003, prostate surgery was an open procedure. Only 1% was done laparoscopically and 4% was done robotically. The interesting thing about that is that in 2003 we were 15 years into the laparoscopic era while only 3 years into the robotic era. Yet, already four times more procedures were being done on the robot than laparoscopically.
Something about this new minimally invasive platform made it work for complicated surgery that couldn’t be duplicated on the mature laparoscopic platform. Many urologists recognized these benefits and a new gold standard emerged.
By 2013 robotic prostatectomy was clearly the new gold standard. Hysterectomies for malignancy have also seen this transition to a new standard. (Premier Data 2003, 2005, and 2013) These procedures represent a recurring history lesson where open surgery predominance was replaced by robotics completely bypassing any sort of laparoscopic phase for the procedure.
In 2013, despite being 25 years into the laparoscopic era, colectomies and incisional hernias both have seen only about a 1/3 penetration of laparoscopy despite proven benefits for patients.
The latest robotic advanced platform, the Da Vinci Xi, shows promise to finally take colectomies, inguinal hernias, and incisional hernias along the path of the prostate to a new gold standard as a robotic surgery!
“Fly” thru the abdominal cavity, please click here
Twenty-Fold Growth in Robotic Inguinal Hernia Repairs
In 2013 the inguinal hernia repairs are done robotically accounted for only about 1% of all an inguinal hernia repairs. Just three years later the robotic approach now accounts for close to 20% of all inguinal hernia repairs.
This phenomenal growth has been fueled almost completely by the surgical community. Hernia thought leaders throughout the surgical community have recognized the increased capabilities of the robotic system allowing a dissection with more precision and less pain. This is in part due to the increased dexterity of the wristed instruments and to the incredible 3-D magnified high-resolution view of the robotic system.
Many studies in this emerging era of robotic hernias are showing improved quality metrics, patient satisfaction, and improved total cost of care and value over other techniques.
Dr. Harkins Shares His Experience with Colleagues
This past October the American College of Surgeons held its annual national conference in Washington DC. Dr. Harkins was honored to have the opportunity to share his experience with his colleagues in a guest lecture event where he chronicled his adoption of the “emerging” standard of laparoscopy in the 1990’s and how that closely parallels his, and the surgical community’s, current adoption of the new emerging standard for robotic surgery.
He continues to provide surgeons across the US with case observations, proctoring and acts as a colon and hernia robotics course instructor on a regular basis. In a separate event, Dr. Harkins will return to Washington DC as a guest instructor for the World Wide Sales Meeting of Intuitive Surgical.
He will lecture on robotic right hemicolectomies and then help the attendees experience the performance of the procedure on an issue model. While he enjoys sharing his experience with his colleagues, Dr. Harkins is most pleased to provide the latest in advanced surgical care available today to the patients of northwest Houston!!!
Dr. Harkins is recognized as a world leader in experience using the Da Vinci Xi system in General Surgery.
