“Robotic surgery in urology even in small centers” – Libero Quotidiano

2023-10-06 19:53:00

Rome, 6 Oct. (time.news Health) – At the national congress of the Italian Society of Urology (SIU) there is also talk of robotic surgery. “In recent years we are witnessing a real revolution on a global level and Italy is the fulcrum at a European level. The revolution that initially affected all high-volume centers will also reach smaller centers in the future.” The entry of new players has led to “a reduction in costs. The competition has done good” not only for diffusion “but also for technology that tends towards miniaturization and image magnification for better surgical quality”. Thus Andrea Minervini, head of the Siu research office, on the occasion of the 96th annual congress of the scientific society, which takes place in Rome from 7 to 9 October.

“Robotic surgery in urology – continues Minervini – can be used in all pathological fields, from oncology – prostate, kidney and bladder and testicular cancer – but also for benign pathologies such as stones or female pathologies such as prolapse. Current technology – he continues – is based on separate arms, but in the future it will be based on a single door. A ‘single port’ robot will arrive in Europe as early as next year, with articulated arms that enter through a single door, i.e. a single small cut, to develop movements in internal spaces and complete the operation”.

Artificial intelligence (AI) also plays a fundamental role, especially in the imaging field. “It has improved – explains Minervini – in matching the ‘real time’ surgical image, i.e. during the operation, with that of a CT scan or MRI, therefore in knowing what awaits us during the operation. But in the future – continues the urologist – AI will allow us to perform the operation earlier, to understand the critical steps in advance. Furthermore, operations will be performed without a surgeon. Already today in pathologies such as benign prostatic hypertrophy, but above all in the future, the computer, based on data provided before the operation, will carry out the operation” without the surgeon acting.

Looking at the geography of the use of robotics “in Italy we see that it is greater in the North than in the Center and then descends to the South – underlines Minervini – The Siu is trying to implement the diffusion of robotic surgery through the creation of a surgery network, which also includes robotic surgery, which will include all patients operated on in robotic surgery – for pathologies of the prostate, kidney, ureter and bladder – and analyze the results based on a data storage system that evaluates the patient himself – he concludes – and the therapy he received.”