The Military Medical Institute performed the first operations of patients suffering from obesity utilizing the da Vinci system. That's the tenth specialty the robot is utilized in this hospital. utilizing da Vinci allows you to operate more precisely, which makes the patient recovers more quickly. 1800 robotic treatments were performed in WIM in 4 years.
– Robotic surgery is the future of medicine, operations carried out utilizing da Vinci system are beneficial for both the patient and the operator," says dr hab. n. med. Maciej Walendziak, Head of the General Surgery, Minimum Invasion and Metabolical Branch of the Military Medical Institute in Warsaw.
The surgeon performed the first bariatric surgery (surgical treatment of obesity) utilizing a robot in WIM at the end of last week. The treatments active cutting out the larger part of the tummy to reduce its capacity (carcerous resection of the stomach) or creating a bypass of the tummy (gastrointestinal bypass), which alters the way food is digested, leading to weight loss.
The da Vinci robot was utilized in both treatments alternatively of conventional laparoscopy. This device is equipped with 4 arms, which through tiny incisions are inserted into the patient's body. On 3 of them are mounted surgical tools, and on the 4th is simply a camera, which allows to get a three-dimensional image of the site operated in a ten-fold magnification. The arm is controlled by a surgeon utilizing a console.
According to Dr. Walendziak, utilizing the robot makes the field of surgery better visible, the surgeon can execute more precise movements and has the ability to scope hard-to-access locations in the patient's body, thus limiting the surgical intervention area to a minimum. This reduces the hazard of serious complications in patients, especially those with severe obesity and another abdominal surgery. – Robotics is an alternate to laparoscopic surgery, which will be developed in the future," the surgeon emphasizes.
Bariatria is another area where the da Vinci robot is utilized in WIM. “We are the only ones in Poland who offer a full scope of operations covering 10 specialities provided for by the Intuitive Surgical company, robot manufacturer”, noted Dr Jacek Donet, head of WIM Robotic Surgery Center.
As he mentions, da Vinci is utilized in: gynecology, urology, cardiosurgery, laryngology, facial-jaw surgery, thyroid, pancreatic and liver surgery, thoracosurgery (chest surgery) and bariatria. “We are the only centre in the country to carry out robotic operations so comprehensively,” Colonel Donet adds.
The Military Medical Institute was the first infirmary in Poland to have 2 da Vinci robots and the first military facility to usage robotic solutions. Since autumn 2020, 1800 treatments have been performed by specialists at the Centre for Robotic Surgery. The robot helped doctors operate on both soldiers and civilian patients treated under contracts with the National wellness Fund.
