What does robotic surgery mean? A robotic surgical system is a combination of several high-technology tools, and is divided into different categories of robots depending on the discipline. In the field of spine surgery, robotic surgery is not a robot that replaces a real person like in science fiction films, but is actually a robotic system consisting of a robotic arm, an optical tracking system, and a master control cart.

In a robotic-assisted spine surgery, a high-definition 3D image of the patient's diseased spine can be obtained in only about 15 seconds using a 3D C-shaped arm matched to the robot, and the robot-assisted surgery can accurately locate the lesion and place the pedicle screw position.

Robotic-assisted placement of pedicle screws is currently the most widely used in spine surgery. The 3D image allows the surgeon to determine the entry point, direction, and depth of the pedicle screw placement during surgery. The surgeon simply makes a 1-cm incision at the nail placement site, drills a guide pin in the direction indicated by the robot arm, and presses the pin into the pedicle, allowing the pedicle screw to be inserted in the most ideal manner for patient safety and surgical effectiveness.

In conventional spine surgery, the surgeon does not have a fluoroscopic eye, so in order to accurately position the screws, the doctor often has to select the nail placement location again and again, in and out, repeatedly. With the help of a robotic surgery system, it is not so tedious. Through the accurate positioning of the robot, the robotic arm can enter the needle and place the tube in one step without repeated probing, which is safer than ordinary surgery.

Is robotic surgery a minimally invasive surgery?

Robotic surgery and minimally invasive surgery are two different concepts. The robot is only an aid for accurate positioning, and whether the surgery is minimally invasive or not depends on the surgery itself. For example, robotic-assisted minimally invasive percutaneous nail placement lumbar fusion (MIS-TLIF) is naturally a minimally invasive procedure, while robotic-assisted scoliosis orthopedic internal fixation, which cannot be done through minimally invasive means, is naturally an open procedure.

Robotic surgery is more effective than general surgery due to the accuracy of the system, and the intraoperative bleeding and duration of surgery are lower and shorter than those of general surgery. Robotic-assisted spine surgery achieves accurate and intelligent surgery.

Equipped with a high-precision optical tracking system and robotic arm, the PL300B orthopedic surgery robot from Perlove Medical can guide doctors in pre-surgical planning based on 3D image data and assist in accurate positioning of implants or surgical instruments using surgical planning software. It has obvious advantages especially for high-risk and complex surgery, which can effectively reduce the risk of surgery.

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