Telematic assisted laparoscopic and thoracoscopic procedures using the Da Vinci® system. Evaluation of the first 170 cases

Introduction: Laparoscopy and thoracoscopy have opened a new era in the modern surgery. But the inherent limitations of these traditional techniques may cause certain difficulties during the performance requiring a unique set if skills, even after the surgeon has accumulated years of experience. Pitfalls are unstable video camera platform, limited motion of straight instruments, two-dimensional imaging and poor ergonomics for the surgeon. In the late years introduction of computer-guided robots, although in an early stage of development, offers potential solutions to the above mentioned problems. We report our f…