General Surgery
It is a medical discipline that demands the general surgeons to be familiar with treating several diseases that may require surgical treatment. It focuses primarily on dealing with abdominal organs like stomach, colon, gall bladder, esophagus, liver, bile ducts, pancreas etc. General surgery can also treat diseases that involve breast, skin, hernias, trauma and vascular pathologies. Most importantly, a general surgeon should have experience and specialised knowledge about pre-operative, operative and post-operative management as well as the ability to deal with any surgical emergency.
Today, with the advent of medical sciences- hernia, gastric bypass surgery and many abdominal surgeries can be done with the aid of robotics also.
What is General Surgery?
A surgical speciality, general surgery focuses on abdominal organs such as pancreas, gallbladder, esophagus, stomach, appendix, bile ducts, liver, colon and small bowel etc. A general surgeon also deals with conditions involving peripheral vascular surgery, hernias, skin and breast. They also perform various endoscopic procedures including colonoscopy and gastroscopy.
What is Robotic Surgery?
Robot-assisted surgery, also known as robotic surgery integrates the advanced computer technology with a surgeon’s hands-on-experience to treat conditions and reach places that are harder to reach. A general surgeon uses controls to direct the surgical instruments that are much smaller in size and can be precisely maneuvered with human hands. The robots replicate a surgeon’s hand movements to operate; thus, minimising hand tremors. Robotics are used in various general surgery procedures where it is hard to reach for the surgeon and require precision.
What are the benefits of Robotic Surgery?
Robotic surgery has many advantages, including and not limited to:
- Fewer tissue damage
- Minimal blood loss
- Faster recovery
- Micro-precision
- Greater flexibility while performing surgery
- Reduced risk of infection
- Less pain
Since surgeons can operate with enhanced precision, robotics is used in cases of general surgery such as for hernia treatment, gastric bypass and abdominal surgery.
Major Conditions treated under General Surgery and Robotics
- Hernia
Hernia is a common condition that occurs when the contents of a particular body cavity protrude out of the membrane in which they are contained. It is essential to get hernia treatment as it never heals on its own and gets worse over time. ‘A stitch in time saves nine’ is the apt comparison to describe the progression of hernia if not operated early. A noticeable bulge is present which appears while standing or during strain. It might become painful, depending on case to case. However, surgery is the only option for hernia treatment.
- Gastric Bypass
Gastric bypass or gastric bypass surgery is a common weight loss procedure that alters the stomach and intestines in how they handle the food consumed. It is one of the well-researched methods of weight loss using a surgery. ‘The Roux-en Y Gastric Bypass (RYGB)’ is the most common gastric bypass surgery. The surgery creates a small pouch from the stomach that restricts high intake of food. It helps in promoting smaller meals that eventually leads to consuming fewer calories. With a gastric bypass surgery long-term weight loss is sustained, and since robotics technology is used, a patient can expect minimal pain and may also be able to walk on the same day.
- Abdominal Surgery
Abdominal surgery is a broad term that involves procedures of the abdomen. There are many types of abdominal surgeries such as Laparoscopic or Open, Appendicectomy, Cholecystectomy, Inguinal hernia surgery, and many more.