The da Vinci Surgical System is changing surgical procedures, which may improve both the patient's experience and surgical outcomes.

MIS (minimally invasive surgery) reduces trauma to the patient by allowing surgery to be performed through small ports or "keyholes" rather than large incisions, resulting in shorter recovery times, fewer complications and a reduced hospital stay.

By integrating computer-enhanced technology with the surgeon’s expertise, the da Vinci System enables surgeons to perform extremely delicate and precise minimally invasive surgery (MIS).

The patient may experience the following benefits

• Reduced trauma to the body
• Less anesthesia
• Often less blood loss and need for transfusions
• Less post-operative pain and discomfort
• Less risk of infection
• Shorter hospital stay
• Faster recovery and return to normal daily activities
• Less scarring and improved cosmesis

Benefits to the Surgeon

• Enhanced 3-D Visualization
• Improved Dexterity
• Greater Surgical Precision
• Improved Access
• Increased Range of Movement
• Reproducibility
• Simplifies many existing MIS surgical techniques
• Makes difficult MIS operations routine
• Makes new MIS procedures possible in most surgical specialties

Enhanced 3-D Visualization: Provides the surgeon with a magnified, true 3-dimensional view of the operating field. This direct and natural hand-eye coordination is similar to that experienced in open surgery with the additional benefit of "all-around" vision and the ability to zoom-in or zoom-out.

Improved Dexterity: Permits the surgeon to move instruments with such accuracy that the current definition of surgical precision is exceeded.

Greater Surgical Precision: Permits the surgeon to move instruments with such accuracy that the current definition of surgical precision is exceeded.

Improved Access: Surgeons perform complex surgical manoeuvres through 1-cm ports, eliminating the need for large traumatic incisions.

Increased Range of Motion: EndoWrist® Instruments provide a full range of motion and ability to rotate instruments more than 360 degrees through tiny incisions.

Reproducibility: Enhances the surgeon’s ability to perform repetitive, technically precise manoeuvres such as endoscopic suturing and dissection.

Simplifies many existing MIS procedures: Operations routinely performed today using MIS techniques may be performed more quickly and easily with the da Vinci Surgical System. The System looks and feels like open surgery to the surgeon.

Makes difficult MIS operations routine: Some procedures have been adapted for port-based techniques but are extremely difficult and are rarely performed and are performed if at all by only a select number of highly skilled surgeons. The da Vinci Surgical System enables more surgeons at additional institutions to perform these procedures routinely with confidence.

Makes new MIS procedures possible in most surgical specialties: A number of procedures that cannot be performed minimally invasively today may be performed through 1-cm ports by surgeons using the da Vinci Surgical System. The intuitive motion-enhanced 3-D Vision system and a comprehensive suite of EndoWrist® Instruments enable new breakthroughs in surgical techniques.

With its 3-D view, the da Vinci Surgical System aids the surgeon in more easily identifying vital anatomy such as the delicate nerves and blood vessels surrounding specific anatomy. The EndoWrist® Instruments provide the surgeon with the dexterity not available using conventional laparoscopic instruments to perform a delicate and precise surgical dissection, reconstruction or removal of specific tissue.