By Xinyi Li, EDITOR

On the morning of June 27 and in Chongqing University Cancer Hospital, Jiang Yuequan, Director of the Thoracic Neoplasms Center, was operating on a patient with lung cancer. Sophisticated for having conducted numerous similar surgeries, Jiang Yuequan found this ongoing one different because of the robot-assisted surgical system, which is 1.9 meters tall with the whole body in white.

A “robot doctor” with several arms and heads enabled the surgeon to operate two meters away

It is the first Da Vinci Surgical System IV Southwest China has ever seen, and this is also the first surgery under its support in this region.

Jiang Yuequan firstly punched three small holes, whose diameters are within 1cm, between the ribs of the patient (female), and inserted the robot’s arms in her chest through the holes. Afterward, he conducted the robot’s arms skillfully while sitting at the control panel, two meters away from the patient.

Jiang Yuequan was operating the Da Vinci Surgical System IV to help the surgery

The surgery was completed within two hours, and the patient had a small amount of bleeding and a neat suture.

On the site, the robot’s arms and related instruments followed his movements accurately and without delay. These parts can even turn for 540 degrees and imitate Dr. Jiang’s wrists to work in a narrow space. The four arms coordinated well with one another, “They are more stable than hands of human beings. On the condition that the unavoidable vibration is eliminated, the risk has been reduced and it is safer and more stable.”

Glasses-free 3D effect equipped, human input reduced

This robot-assisted surgical system has a video function to show the real-time image in the patient’s body, which boasts glasses-free 3D effect of high definition, and the surgical part can be zoomed in for 20 times at most.

Jiang Yuequan said that the Da Vinci Surgical System IV had significant advantages compared with traditional operations and the laparoscope-assisted ones. It is safe and can also reduce the number of participated human surgeons and assistants, that is to say, only another one or two doctors are needed to change the required surgical instruments.

It is safe and can also reduce the number of participated human surgeons and assistants, that is to say, only another one or two doctors are needed to change the required surgical instruments

The clinical application of the Da Vinci Surgical System IV is extensive since it is applicable for all the diseases that can be treated through endoscopic-assisted minimally-invasive surgeries. Besides, it also performs well in some surgeries where traditional thoracoscope or laparoscope may not work properly. “In our hospital, except for intracranial and bone tumor, this robot can handle nearly all the tumor removals currently,” according to a director of this hospital.

The expense is about 30,000 RMB each time

Since 2007, the applications of the Da Vinci Surgical System in surgeries have kept a rising trend nationwide. Only 2018 alone had witnessed over 30,000 cases under its assistance, and by the end of that year, the total amount was over 100,000.

For doctors, it can not only reduce the amount of anesthesia, risk of infection, and the bleeding volume of patients but also act as “adding wings to tigers” to make the surgeries, even more complicated, safer and more accurate. For patients, thanks to the robot, they will have smaller incisions and need shorter time for rehabilitation. Currently, the expense is about 30,000 RMB each time.

Source: Chongqing Morning News