Doctor: Robotic surgery has many advantages

Nagpur: Robotic surgeries have a distinct advantage like 3D view, degree of freedom its arm possesses and most importantly, it does not falter on a doctor’s command as it acts precisely, said Dr Abhinav Deshpande, a robotic onco-surgeon, on Sunday.

He was delivering a lecture on ‘Can robots perform a surgery inside human body’, organized by Professors Colony Mitra Mandal in memory of Jagmohandas Kinariwala, a renowned businessman in the field of printing and packaging, at Gruhini Samaj Hall, Hanuman Nagar.

“It’s not that we use technology, but we live technology. Surgeries are like handicraft and operation theatre is the place where surgeons show their art,” said Deshpande, a robotic onco-surgeon at Seven Star Hospital and consultant cancer surgeon at Government Medical College.

Deshpande gave the example of master slave concept. A robot, like a slave, only follows the orders given by his master i.e. the surgeon and there are little chances of it wavering, he said.

Telesurgery helps get rid of distance hindrance and ensures precision. Robotic surgery has many advantages for patients as there is less blood loss, decreased hospital stay, small scars and less painful, he said.

Deshpande also showed the video of a live robotic surgery to make the audience understand the process. However, robotics also has its own disadvantages such as cumbersome size, no haptic feedback as it cannot feel the sensation, accessibility as only specialized people can work with it and cost issues.

On artificial intelligence and surgery, he said, “We prefer human brains with augmented robotic actions. Ultimately, it’s the surgeon who guides the robot for which utmost precaution has to be taken to ensure that the operation is smooth and successful.”

Earlier Rajesh Kinariwala presented a memento to Deshpande. Sajol Kinariwala proposed a vote of thanks. The event was hosted by Vaijayanti Dixit.