Robotic Procedures in General Surgery

Robotic surgery is a type of procedure that  is similar to laparoscopic surgery. To date there has been no evidence to support that the result of robotic surgery is superior to laparoscopic surgery.

The main advantage of robotic is the convenience for the surgeon, where the surgeon can see the area being operated on in a much clearer picture than laparoscopy; the surgeon is in a more comfortable position and can move in a more natural way during the procedure.

Another advantage for robotic surgery is when it is used in a difficult area in the abdominal cavity, which normally cannot be reached by laparoscopic instruments. Robotic surgery has higher expenses and requires longer surgery time without improvement in outcome compared to laparoscopic procedure. For this reason robotic surgery is not widely accepted as an alternative to routine laparoscopic surgery.

Giant Abdominal Wall Hernia

A giant abdominal wall hernia is a very large hernia of the abdominal wall that most often results from long standing ventral hernia and in many cases, failed multiple repair attempts.

This hernia is usually very difficult to repair because of large defect of the abdominal wall. To be repaired successfully, a technique of component separation can be used to allow the muscle and fascia (layer of fibrous tissue) to be sutured to each other in the midline to close the gap.

In the component separation technique the muscles are separated from each other to allow the tissue to be closed without tension. Most often this is reinforced with mesh, which is a medical material used to reinforce poly tissues.

Patients with giant ventral hernia who have had multiple failed repairs should not be discouraged from seeking a second opinion as they may be a candidate for component separation.