Goa Medical College and Hospital, Bambolim has recently reportedly successfully conducted its first robotic surgery on a 67-year-old Margao-based patient with knee arthritis. It is learnt that GMCH is the first government hospital in the country to conduct a robotic-assisted surgery. The most widely used clinical robotic surgical system includes a camera arm and mechanical arms with surgical instruments attached to them. The surgeon controls the arms while seated at a computer console near the operating table. The console gives the surgeon a high-definition, magnified, 3D view of the surgical site. Surgeons who use the robotic system find that for many procedures it enhances precision, flexibility and control during the operation and allows them to see the site better. The computer translates the surgeon's movements to the instruments that move exactly inside the body as the surgeon moves them. Robotic surgery can be used to treat conditions affecting the heart, digestive system, bladder, prostate and more. The benefits of minimally invasive surgery include fewer complications, such as surgical site infection, less pain and blood loss, shorter hospital stay and quicker recovery and less noticeable scars.
