Robotic Surgery

These days, some surgeons have four arms and are made of metal and plastic. Use of a robotic assistant called the Da Vinci Surgical System has quadrupled in the last four years, and the machine now helps with incisions and sutures in 2,000 hospitals around the world. Da Vinci is a multi-purpose robot - the only one of its kind - that can scrub in on heart bypass and valve repair operations, hysterectomies, prostate removal surgeries and other procedures. The Da Vinci robot is not actually performing operations; it only mirrors the movements of the surgeon's hands on two joystick-like controllers.

Robotic surgery was initially developed to target prostate cancer - and today four in five prostectomies are performed by this revolutionary system, according to the National Cancer Institute. Although robotics - the pioneering da Vinci Surgical System in particular - is today employed to treat a wide range of cancers, it remains an especially effective way to deal with the specific challenges of prostate cancer. Robotic surgery has also been shown to minimize recovery time, pain and side effects.

True, AESOP ("The Doctor Is Plugged In," Aug. 27) is not the first robotic surgery in this country, and true, UC Davis Medical Center has been using Robodoc for the past year. However, Long Beach Memorial Medical Center pioneered stereotactic robotic surgery in this country as far back as 1985 with its robotic arm Ole, which has the ability to assist neurosurgeons in the treatment and diagnosis for brain surgery. RON YUKELSON Director of Communications Long Beach Memorial Medical Center

When Dr. Amir Abolhoda recently performed robot-assisted lung cancer surgery at UC Irvine Medical Center - the first procedure of its kind in Orange County - it marked the latest leap in the fast-evolving field of robotics. The minimally invasive procedure successfully removed a cancerous lobe from the lung of a 52-year-old patient and sampled nearby lymph nodes for cancerous cells - entirely by robotic-controlled instruments. It was a high-tech extension of the surgeon's touch.

Intuitive Surgical Inc. was sued by Caltech, which claims the company's da Vinci system for robotic surgery infringes patents held by the university. Irvine-based Intuitive said the lawsuit was without merit and had filed a separate action seeking a declaration that the company wasn't infringing patents.

Robotic surgery was initially developed to target prostate cancer - and today four in five prostectomies are performed by this revolutionary system, according to the National Cancer Institute. Although robotics - the pioneering da Vinci Surgical System in particular - is today employed to treat a wide range of cancers, it remains an especially effective way to deal with the specific challenges of prostate cancer. Robotic surgery has also been shown to minimize recovery time, pain and side effects.

A French American team has performed the first long-distance robotic surgery, with surgeons in New York City removing the gallbladder of a 68-year-old woman in Strasbourg. Although robotic surgery is now commonplace in at least 100 hospitals around the world, the successful 45-minute operation proves the feasibility of using it over long distances, opening the possibility of operations in the space station, at the poles, on battlefields and in Third World countries.

As Joseph Kolodzieski lay unconscious on a Baltimore hospital operating table, the doctor in charge sat more than 700 miles away, directing a remote-controlled robotic arm inside the patient's abdomen. This is 21st century telemedicine, the latest advance in a field that doctors say someday may allow a surgeon on Earth to operate on astronauts in space. Even the earthbound version that took place not long ago seemed out of this world.

A woman lies anesthetized on the operating table. Bright primary colors dominate the room: the brilliant yellow of iodine-scrubbed skin, the red of blood, the green of surgical scrubs worn by all. Medical students flank a far wall, the Greek chorus of the surgical theater. From a CD player in the corner, the Beatles croon softly, "I wanna hold your haaand." This looks like any operating room, but this surgery--a heart-valve repair--will be anything but typical.

When Dr. Amir Abolhoda recently performed robot-assisted lung cancer surgery at UC Irvine Medical Center - the first procedure of its kind in Orange County - it marked the latest leap in the fast-evolving field of robotics. The minimally invasive procedure successfully removed a cancerous lobe from the lung of a 52-year-old patient and sampled nearby lymph nodes for cancerous cells - entirely by robotic-controlled instruments. It was a high-tech extension of the surgeon's touch.

These days, some surgeons have four arms and are made of metal and plastic. Use of a robotic assistant called the Da Vinci Surgical System has quadrupled in the last four years, and the machine now helps with incisions and sutures in 2,000 hospitals around the world. Da Vinci is a multi-purpose robot - the only one of its kind - that can scrub in on heart bypass and valve repair operations, hysterectomies, prostate removal surgeries and other procedures. The Da Vinci robot is not actually performing operations; it only mirrors the movements of the surgeon's hands on two joystick-like controllers.

Intuitive Surgical Inc. was sued by Caltech, which claims the company's da Vinci system for robotic surgery infringes patents held by the university. Irvine-based Intuitive said the lawsuit was without merit and had filed a separate action seeking a declaration that the company wasn't infringing patents.

A French American team has performed the first long-distance robotic surgery, with surgeons in New York City removing the gallbladder of a 68-year-old woman in Strasbourg. Although robotic surgery is now commonplace in at least 100 hospitals around the world, the successful 45-minute operation proves the feasibility of using it over long distances, opening the possibility of operations in the space station, at the poles, on battlefields and in Third World countries.

A woman lies anesthetized on the operating table. Bright primary colors dominate the room: the brilliant yellow of iodine-scrubbed skin, the red of blood, the green of surgical scrubs worn by all. Medical students flank a far wall, the Greek chorus of the surgical theater. From a CD player in the corner, the Beatles croon softly, "I wanna hold your haaand." This looks like any operating room, but this surgery--a heart-valve repair--will be anything but typical.

As Joseph Kolodzieski lay unconscious on a Baltimore hospital operating table, the doctor in charge sat more than 700 miles away, directing a remote-controlled robotic arm inside the patient's abdomen. This is 21st century telemedicine, the latest advance in a field that doctors say someday may allow a surgeon on Earth to operate on astronauts in space. Even the earthbound version that took place not long ago seemed out of this world.

True, AESOP ("The Doctor Is Plugged In," Aug. 27) is not the first robotic surgery in this country, and true, UC Davis Medical Center has been using Robodoc for the past year. However, Long Beach Memorial Medical Center pioneered stereotactic robotic surgery in this country as far back as 1985 with its robotic arm Ole, which has the ability to assist neurosurgeons in the treatment and diagnosis for brain surgery. RON YUKELSON Director of Communications Long Beach Memorial Medical Center

Poverty. Public education. Healthcare. Gang violence. Affordable housing. Water supply and the environment. These are the key challenges that threaten to stifle our civic well-being in California, and I would like to see the new UC president unleash the university's enormous intellectual capital and resources to help our leaders address these difficult issues. That means taking the leap from excellence in academia, data and research to excellence in practical application and problem-solving leadership.

Men who need prostate-cancer surgery are increasingly choosing minimally invasive techniques because such surgeries typically lead to shorter hospital stays and a reduced risk of some types of complications. But a new study suggests that the risk of the most serious complications may be higher with the new technology. Minimally invasive forms of radical prostatectomy (in which the prostate gland is removed), often including the use of a robot, are heavily advertised. Procedures relying on robotic surgery have increased from 1% to 40% of all radical prostatectomies from 2001 to 2006 and may be as high as 75% of all prostate cancer surgeries today.