Did your doctor just let you know you need to consider having gallbladder removal done? Or are you in need of a hernia repair?
In both these instances, having surgery will be necessary. But rather than going through traditional surgery, you might be able to have robotic surgery performed.
Robotic surgeries are special types of surgery that rely on the latest medical technology. Robotic surgery might be your best option when you’re having a gallbladder removed or a hernia repaired.
Before you go through with one, though, you should weigh the pros and cons of robotic surgery. It’ll help you decide if having robotic surgery is the right choice for you in the end.
In this article, we’re going to explore the pros and cons of robotic surgery to put you in a better position to make a final decision. Check them out below.
The Pros of Robotic Surgery
Robotic surgery might sound like a relatively new concept to many Americans. But believe it or not, the medical community first started trying to make robotic surgeries possible almost 60 years ago.
Initially, the Department of Defense worked on incorporating robotics into surgery in an attempt to come up with a way to treat soldiers in battlefield settings. But as time went on, it became clear that robotic surgeries would also be able to benefit regular U.S. civilians and eventually people all across the globe.
It’s a big part of the reason why we’re here discussing the pros and cons of robotic surgery today. Here are some of the pros associated with robotic surgeries.
Less Invasive Than Traditional Surgery
In the past, if you needed to have, say, your gallbladder removed, this would often force you to undergo a relatively invasive surgical procedure. Your surgeon would have to create a large opening to be able to access the hard-to-reach gallbladder so that they could remove it.
When you have robotic surgery to remove your gallbladder today, you won’t have to worry about going through an invasive procedure like this. More often than not, a surgeon will be able to utilize robotics to make a single 1-inch incision near your belly button to remove your gallbladder.
You’ll feel so much better about having your gallbladder removed when you know it’s going to be a quick and easy process. A robotic surgery will be so much less stressful than a traditional surgery.
Safer and More Precise
During robotic surgery, a surgeon will use a pair of robotic arms to make an incision in you. It’ll make this part of the process so much safer since there won’t be any chance that something like hand tremors could impact a surgeon’s ability to make a clean incision in your skin.
A surgeon will also be able to be so much more precise when they’re using these robotic arms to make an incision. They can pick the exact location they’d like to make the incision and choose how large it’ll be.
Because of this, you shouldn’t have to be concerned about bleeding too much during robotic surgery. You also won’t have to put up with too much pain after your surgery is complete since the incision that was made will be on the smaller side.
Quicker Recovery Process
In the past, it would take a decent amount of time for a person to fully recover from a procedure like gallbladder removal. Some people would have to spend days in the hospital getting better before they were finally released. They would then spend several more weeks recovering at home.
But thanks to robotic surgery, you will be able to recover from gallbladder removal so much quicker than you would be able to otherwise. You’ll also be left with a much smaller scar than you would have been left with in past years.
All these benefits of robotic surgeries will also apply to other procedures like hernia repair. You’ll find that things will go so much smoother when a surgeon uses robotics while providing you with medical care.
The Cons of Robotic Surgery
As you can see, there are so many advantages to choosing robotic surgery over traditional surgery. There are, however, a few potential downsides associated with robotic surgery that should be on your radar.
The pros of robotic surgery far outweigh these cons. But you should still consider each of them before deciding if selecting robotic surgery would be in your best interest.
Not Available Everywhere
Although surgical centers have been performing robotic surgeries for decades now, not every center has access to the robotics it takes to pull them off. You may find that the center you choose for surgery won’t have the necessary equipment.
The robotics needed to carry out robotic surgeries are typically on the more expensive side. As a result, you won’t always find them in all surgical centers.
Possible Scar Tissue Complications
If you’ve had surgeries in the past that have left scar tissue behind, there is a chance it could make it challenging for a surgeon to use robotics to complete your next surgery. Complications may arise because of the presence of scar tissue.
This could ultimately lead to a surgeon having to abandon robotics in the middle of your surgery. It’s something you’ll want to discuss with a surgeon ahead of time.
Rare Robotic Malfunctions
The odds of a robotic malfunction taking place during robotic surgery are slim to none. But there will be a very tiny chance that a malfunction could occur and interrupt your surgery.
While this shouldn’t be a reason to steer clear of having robotic surgeries done, it is something you should consider when making a decision.
Understand the Pros and Cons of Robotic Surgery
It’s imperative that you understand the pros and cons of robotic surgery before deciding if one would be right for you. SurgCo can talk to you more about them.
We can also talk to you about all the different surgical procedures that we can perform with the help of robotics. Contact us today to discover more about robotic surgeries and how they could benefit you.