Robotic Surgery
Robotic Surgery
RMetroWest Medical Center and MetroWest Physician Services offer robotic-assisted surgery, a form of minimally invasive surgery performed through small incisions using advanced robotic systems. Instead of operating directly by hand, the surgeon controls robotic instruments that aim to provide improved precision, flexibility and visualization.
Compared with traditional open procedures, minimally invasive robotic surgery may offer potential benefits such as:
Smaller incisions Shorter hospital stays Less pain, scarring, and blood loss Faster recovery times Fewer complicationsThese outcomes may depend on the procedure type and patient factors, so we recommend talking with your healthcare provider for customized treatment plan.
The da Vinci® Surgical System
At MetroWest Medical Center and MetroWest Physician Services, our surgeons use the da Vinci Xi™ Surgical System, a technology designed to support minimally invasive surgery. The system consists of:
- Surgeon console: Where the surgeon sits and controls instruments while viewing a magnified, 3D high-definition image of the surgical area.
- Patient cart: Positioned at the bedside, holding the robotic arms that carry the instruments and camera.
- Vision cart: Which supports the 3D vision system and communication between components. The da Vinci system translates the surgeon’s hand movements into smaller, precise motions of instruments inside the body. This allows procedures to be done through small incisions while maintaining surgical accuracy.
Procedures performed with da Vinci may include:
- Acid reflux surgery
- Bariatric surgery
- Cholecystectomy (gallbladder removal)
- Colectomy
- Cystectomy
- Hiatal hernia repair
- Hysterectomy
- Inguinal and ventral hernia repair
- Oophorectomy
- Ovarian cyst surgery
- Prostatectomy
How Robotic Surgery Is Performed
During robotic-assisted surgery, the patient is positioned on the operating table while the surgeon remains seated at the console in the same room. A 3D high-definition camera is inserted through a small incision to provide a magnified view of the surgical field. The surgeon uses hand and finger movements to control robotic arms equipped with wristed instruments that can bend and rotate in ways not possible with the human hand.
This setup enables precise, controlled movements while minimizing the need for larger incisions. The overall approach is designed to provide a less invasive alternative to traditional surgery.
Technology to Aid Surgical Precision: Magseed®
MetroWest Medical Center and MetroWest Physician Services also use Magseed® marker technology to assist in surgical precision. The Magseed is a tiny metallic seed, about the size of a grain of rice, used to mark tissue (most often tumors) for targeted removal.
It is placed in the body before surgery and emits a magnetic signal. During surgery, the signal is detected by the Sentimag® probe similar to how a metal detector works, allowing the surgeon to accurately locate the marked tissue. This approach is intended to replace traditional wire localization methods, which can be uncomfortable for patients and cumbersome for surgeons.
ION Robot for Lung Biopsy
If your surgeon recommends robotic lung biopsy, what does that mean? A bronchoscopy is a procedure to diagnose problems with your lungs or airways and is also used to take samples of tissue for testing. During a bronchoscopic biopsy with the Ion robotic system, your physician guides an ultra-thin catheter through your airway to the area of your lung nodule. This small catheter can reach hard-to-reach areas of the lung for biopsy. Once at the nodule location, the catheter locks in place allowing your physician to take a sample of lung tissue.