Surgery is never easy, but it’s come a long way in recent years. Now, doctors can perform complex surgeries with small incisions and specialized instruments. And robotic technology is providing even greater precision and better medical outcomes.
At the Brain and Spine Institute of New York and New Jersey, Dr. Arien Smith uses robotic surgery to treat back and neck pain when conservative treatments fail to provide relief. Here, he shares five benefits of this advanced surgical approach.
Robotic surgery involves four primary components:
The advanced technology gives Dr. Smith a clear, magnified 3D view of the surgical site. The flexibility and control of the robotic instruments allow for greater precision than human hands can achieve.
That means Dr. Smith can safely perform delicate and complex procedures that may have been challenging or next to impossible in the past without open surgery, which carries greater risk.
Robotic surgery is a more advanced type of minimally invasive, laparoscopic surgery. These approaches enable your surgeon to perform your procedure by making a few small incisions instead of one large one.
Because the robotic “hands” have so much dexterity, Dr. Smith can operate in an even tighter space — it would usually need a longer incision to allow a surgeon’s hands to access the site. This approach causes far less trauma on the body, resulting in reduced blood loss, tissue damage, and scarring.
All surgery carries a certain amount of risk, especially involving infection. However, the minimally invasive nature of robotic surgery significantly reduces your chances of complications, including infection and the need for transfusions.
Plus, because robotic surgery gives Dr. Smith greater accuracy, visualization, and dexterity, you usually also have better surgical outcomes.
Facing a traditional surgery with a large incision usually means staying in the hospital for several days and undergoing multiple months of recovery. But that’s not the case with robotic surgery.
While your recovery time varies depending on your procedure, you can usually expect a single night in the hospital. And, sometimes, you can resume moderate activity within 2-3 weeks.
Dr. Smith can give you a better sense of your recovery time based on your condition, procedure, and overall health.
Dr. Smith only turns to minimally invasive surgery when your neck pain or back pain fails to respond to conservative treatments. Conditions that often benefit from robotic spine surgery include:
Because robotic surgery provides real-time, detailed images, Dr. Smith can identify what’s behind your pain so he can correct it. If you haven’t found relief from your pain, robotic surgery could finally provide a solution, safely and effectively.
Curious to learn more about robotic surgery? Contact the Brain and Spine Institute of New York and New Jersey location nearest you by calling or scheduling an appointment online today.
