Q&A

Who we are?

SERGS is a non-profit organisation. As a medical society, we aim to promote better access to robotic surgery. We also promote the safe and efficient use of this technology through training, certification and registration of robotic surgeons.
Through this portal, we would like to offer patients and their relatives useful, comprehensibly prepared information on robot-assisted surgical procedures.

What is robotic surgery?

This term refers to the performance of a surgical procedure with the aid of a robotic assistance system. In the field of abdominal and pelvic surgery, this is a platform that enables high-precision work via minimal access routes (laparoscopy, so-called "keyhole surgery"). The surgical instruments are precisely guided by robotic arms, which are controlled by the surgeon from a console.

Will I be operated on by a robot or a surgeon?

A robotic operation is also performed by a surgeon. The robot serves only as an aid; it does not perform any autonomous surgical steps. Are robot-assisted surgeries safe? Is this an established technique or an experimental one?
Robot-assisted surgery has been performed for about two decades. It is an established procedure that has successfully treated tens of thousands of patients. There are now a variety of publications that support the safety and utility of the technology.

What are the differences between Open Surgery, Laparoscopic Surgery, and Robotic-Assisted Surgery?

The classic form of surgery is open surgery. This requires a more or less large incision to reach the abdominal or pelvic cavity and perform the surgery there. This type of surgical technique has been used and developed over the last two centuries.
The laparoscopic surgical technique (laparoscopy, minimally invasive surgery) requires only small incisions of about 1cm in length. Through these, small tubes (trocars) are inserted into the abdominal wall. The abdominal cavity is filled with CO2 gas to create space and visibility for the surgery. A camera with a light source and the instruments are inserted through the trocars to perform the surgery. The camera is usually placed in the umbilical area and guided by hand by a surgical assistant, and the instruments are guided directly by the surgeon.
The use of the laparoscopic minimally invasive technique has several advantages over open surgery: less blood loss, lower complication rates, less scarring, faster recovery, less wound pain and a shorter hospital stay. However, this technique has its limitations. Laparoscopic instruments are long and have limited degrees of freedom, there is no articulation as with the human wrist. The length of the instruments means that the precision of movement can be limited, which can be particularly detrimental in delicate surgical areas. The camera in a conventional laparoscopy usually provides a two-dimensional image and is manually guided by a surgical assistant. These and other limitations of classical laparoscopy are compensated for by the use of a surgical robot. With this technique, the instruments have all the degrees of freedom that the human wrist also has, which makes more precise work possible. Also, the instruments are not guided directly, but by the robot, which transmits the surgeon's movements precisely 1:1 or even with up to fivefold reduction. In the robot-assisted technique, the camera provides a clear, three-dimensional image and is controlled by the surgeon himself. In summary, robot-assisted surgery can be described as high-tech laparoscopy. It helps to perform complex operations gently and precisely and to avoid an abdominal incision with all its negative consequences for the patient.

Why are not all operations performed robot-assisted?

The robot-assisted surgical technique is an established, but still relatively new and also expensive technique. Therefore, it is not used for all indications. The more complex an operation is, the more likely it is that robotic assistance will be used. It is to be expected that in the coming years and decades more and more procedures will be performed robot-assisted. This development is already becoming apparent.

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