HJBR May/Jun 2024

42 MAY / JUN 2024 I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF BATON ROUGE SURGERY The surgeon controls four independewwnt arms in real time. The 3D, high-definition camera can provide the surgeon with a magnified view of the operative field. The control of the arms is handled at the sur- geon console. The movements of the ar- ticulating instruments are a scaled repro- duction of the movements of the surgeon’s hands. To complete a major step in gastric by- pass, the complexity of an anastomosis in a laparoscopic versus a robotic approach must be understood. In an obese patient, the abdominal wall can vary from 3 to 6 inches in thickness. The hand-held or laparoscopic instruments must be placed COLUMN SURGERY lizing the da Vinci robotic system since the early 2000s. These were especially help- ful for robotic hysterectomy and robotic prostatectomy. The instrument itself has evolved as surgeons develop increasing awareness of its advantages. The Xi and SP are robotic models currently in use at Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center. The Xi has four arms that operate independently, each through a 7-milimeter incision. The SP has four instruments that enter through one 22-milimeter incision. The technical complexity of bariatric surgery is a natural fit for the Xi robot. This is a sophisticated operative tool that allows unbridled access to the abdominal cavity. IN RECENT YEARS, there has been an incredible shift toward the use of robotic technology in the operating room. Last year, robotic procedures outnumbered laparoscopic procedures for the first time. Robotic bariatric procedures are on the rise as well. From 2015 to 2020, robotic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass has increased by 16% inmost studies. Sleeve gastrectomy has increased by 17.2%. This has become an increasingly popular option for weight re- duction surgery among surgeons as well as their patients. We will look at the advan- tages this technology provides. The da Vinci robot is not new technolo- gy. Urology and gynecology have been uti- ROBOTICS IN BARIATRICS