Complications in Robotic Surgery

There are complications that occur in robotic surgery that do not happen in laparoscopy, according to Prof. Dr. Somashekhar SP, Chairman & HOD Surgical Oncology, Manipal Health Enterprise; Consultant Surgical & Gynec.Onco & Robotic Surgeon, HIPEC Super specialist at Manipal Comprehensive Cancer Center. “You need a good open surgeon on the console,” he tells the Robotic Surgeons Council of India, “but a very good laparoscopic surgeon as bedside assistant initially.”

He talks about dual consoles, assistants looking at OR/OT monitors, and then gets down to his main topic- Complications. “All of us have had complications- and if we say we have not had complications- then we have not done enough surgery, or we are just hiding this particular thing!”

He talks of the importance of honestly reporting complications- and how surgeons- and the robotic surgery community can learn from this. One of his examples shows an artery damaged by an assistant using a stapler, which led to a rapid conversion from robotic to open to “save the patient.” He unashamedly shows his audience difficulties, and teaches them how to avoid the same mistakes.

Prof. Somashekhar shares several robotic surgery video clips of different problems- and describes how to “make your life very easy and comfortable,” by planning and avoiding issues. Preparing for failures of the robotic system is another facet of his thorough presentation.

This is an eye-opening video, with ideas for all robotic surgeons and team members, by one of the top robotic surgeons in the world. Lecture, with PPT’s and robotic surgery videos, 13:11