History
In the last few decades, major advances in surgery techniques and technology have occurred. Open surgery was the traditional method surgeons used to access the inner organs of the human body. Open surgery provides surgeons with a clear view of the organs. However, there are many disadvantages to open surgery. This incudes that there is a higher amount of blood loss, more pain and discomfort, and a longer recovery time.
In the early 1980s, there were new improvements to surgery with the technology of minimally invasive surgery, which is also known as laparscopic surgery or endoscopic surgery. (Citation 1). Surgeons perform this type of surgery through one or more small incisions. They can view the organs with the aid of tiny cameras. Small instruments are also used during the surgery. The benefits of minimally invasive surgery are that there is less pain, a faster recovery, a reduced infection rate, etc. The drawbacks include that the equipment is expensive and not all hospitals can afford it. Surgeons also need special training to master the technique and procedure of the surgery.
Shortly after, the development of robotic surgery enhanced the surgical field. It is currently the latest technology to improve minimally invasive surgery procedures. Robotic surgery is the process by which surgeons use robotic machinery and tools to perform a surgery. Wih more research performed, robotic surgery will progress and possibly become the leading and main alternative to surgery. In the upcoming years, scientists hope to create a robot that can find abnormalities in the human body, analyze them, and operate to correct those abnormalities. (Citation 2)
Timeline
