Surgical robots can be used for remote regional anesthesia

Release date: 2010-09-03


According to a study published in the September issue of Anesthesia and Analgesia, existing surgical robots can be used to perform complex regional anesthesia operations—in theory, professional anesthesiologists can perform robot-assisted anesthesia operations over long distances. .
Strict trials of surgical robot-assisted regional anesthesia have now been conducted. "This study shows that multi-functional surgical robots can be used to simulate nerve block," Dr. Patrick J. Tighe of the University of Florida Medical School, Genesville, and colleagues report.
Surgical robots can be used for remote anesthesia Researchers have conducted a series of simulation studies to evaluate the feasibility of surgical robot-assisted regional anesthesia procedures. The simulation experiment used the existing surgical robot, the Da Vinci system. Consisting of four robotic arms and a high-definition stereo camera, it can perform various types of robot-assisted surgery.
This process is not performed on a real patient, but an ultrasound "human body model" is used to simulate the anesthesiologist's ultrasound-guided operation. The anesthesiologist is in the operating room, but away from the robotic arm and the simulated "patient", using the DaVinci system operator console to perform the operation.
After the ultrasound probe is placed, the anesthesiologist can successfully perform a simulated nerve block process, including identifying the nerve structure, picking up the needle and positioning the target nerve, and finally completing the injection.
The surgical robot is then used to try a more advanced regional anesthesia: placing a perivascular catheter to achieve a sustained nerve block. Although some of the steps must be done manually, most of the complex catheter placement processes can be successfully completed with the DaVinci system.
There are some important limitations in performing the simulation, including some steps that must be done manually, and the multi-million dollar price of the Da Vinci system is another clinical application barrier.
However, “simulation experiments have shown that robotic-assisted regional anesthesia using existing clinical equipment is feasible,” Dr. Tighe and colleagues write. Further research is needed to promote the development of this concept, including "optimizing the interface between robots and other nerve block devices".
In the future, robotics can be used to perform long-range "remote anesthesia" operations. “There are very few skilled regional anesthesiologists who can’t meet their needs,” commented Dr. Steven L. Shafer, Columbia University’s editor-in-chief, anesthesia and pain. “This technology is still in its infancy. If future research shows that it is practical, a trained anesthesiologist can provide specialized nerve block for dozens of patients worldwide in one day. There is an anesthesiologist who takes care of the patient's needs, has to deal with various complications, and provides an alternate anesthesia once the anesthesia fails."

Source: Frontier Medical Information Network

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