UNMC surgeon explains robotic technological advances
Mike Bell
Issue date: 11/13/09 Section: News
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"We still have a little ways to go before we are shrinking each other," said Dmitry Oleynikov, an associate professor of surgery and the director of the Center for Advanced Surgical Technology UNMC. "But we can shrink our instruments and our tools."
About 90 people made their way to the Slowdown on Nov. 10 to hear Oleynikov speak about the future of robotics in the field of medicine
Through recent developments in medical technology, Oleynikov and his colleagues have been at the forefront of videoendoscopic developments. Videoendoscopy is surgery performed with the guidance of a camera on the end of a long tube, which is inserted into the body to examine interior organs.
They are now able to perform complex surgeries through much smaller incisions, and in some cases, no incisions at all. Standing in front of a projection of C-3PO from "Star Wars," Oleynikov showed a video of two robotic arms cutting away at a growth near a patient's liver.
Both the mechanical arms and the camera fit within a hole no larger than a quarter, allowing Oleynikov to perform whatever removal is needed. All the patient needs after surgery is a Band-Aid, decreasing both pain and recovery time.
All of this is made possible by the da Vinci Surgical System- a pair of arms equipped with various kinds of scalpels, knives, clips and a 12 mm camera. It provides real-time video for manipulation of tissue. The system uses two joysticks, much like an arcade game.
Oleynikov said using the da Vinci is like driving an automatic transmission after only driving a stick all your life. While it takes getting used to, not much skill is needed. However, UNMC only lets those with at least 12 years of experience touch the controls.
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