Robotic Surgery Vs Open Surgery: Which One Is Best

Dr.Vikas Agarwal, 4 mins read

Often, patients get confused between robotic-assisted and traditional/open surgeries. Some say robotic surgery is best, while others suggest open surgery. So, which one is best?

Well, both have their own set of pros and cons. However, due to a less invasive approach, more precision and less risk of complications, robotic surgery is better than traditional or open surgeries in most cases.

Here is a guide to robotic and open surgery to help you know which one is best:

Traditional surgery
Open surgeries involve making a single large incision to access the targeted area. It is used to treat several conditions, including those in which robotic surgery can not be done. The surgeon may spread or remove some muscles and tissues to operate on the surgical site. The incision can be as small as 3 to 4 inches and as large as 10 inches.

Advantages of traditional surgery

• Visibility: Offer a clear, unrestricted view of the surgical site to the surgeon. Helpful in difficult and severe cases.
• Tactility: Surgeons can use their fingers to assess the tissues, structure, texture and other factors.
• Better accessibility: Open surgeries provide better access to large or complex structures than minimally invasive approaches.
• Versatility: Open surgeries can be used for a range of medical conditions.
• Restorative procedures: When it comes to reconstruction, repair or tissue/organ transplant, open surgeries are the efficient option.
• Speed and immediate access: In certain cases, especially in emergency cases, open surgeries are faster and provide immediate access to the surgical site.
• Cost: Open surgeries are usually less expensive than robotic surgeries.

Disadvantages of traditional surgery

• Large incision: This causes scarring, long exposure to anaesthesia, increased risk of complications like tissue damage and blood loss and longer hospital stay.
• Long recovery time: People who undergo open surgery generally take more time to recover than those who choose robotic surgery.
• Pain and discomfort: The large incision raises the risk of tissue damage, which leads to pain and discomfort post-surgery for a couple of days to weeks. Thereby, making the patient take pain medications.

Robotic-assisted surgery
Most people think robotic surgeries mean only a robot is performing the surgery. But that’s the incomplete truth. The reality is surgeons perform the surgery using the robot. This means all the controls of the robot are in the surgeon’s hand and whatever the surgeon guides, it does only that thing. Similar to a wired remote-controlled car toy with which we used to play in our childhood days; all the control in your hands and whatever you guide, it does accordingly. So, a robot is basically an extra arm to the surgeon for performing simple to complex surgeries with less incision but more precision.

Advantages

• 2X Safety and expertise: As it involves both surgeon and robot, it increases the safety of the procedure and leads to better outcomes.
• Precision and accuracy: The robot offers HD and enhanced visualisation of the anatomy, even with minimal incision, giving the surgeon a better view. Plus, a robot is capable of exactly implementing the surgeon’s guidance, thereby eliminating the risk of tissue damage.
• Least invasive: Contrary to traditional or open surgeries, robotic-assisted surgeries require smaller incisions to perform even complex surgery.
• Less blood loss: As it involves minimal incisions, the risk of blood loss and the need for blood transfusion is much less.
• Improved motion range: With a robot, surgeons are able to perform surgeries even in hard-to-reach areas.
• Less scaring: As the incisions are smaller, the scarring is also minimal.
  Less pain and complications: The pain and complications post-robotic-assisted surgery are very minimal to negligible in most cases. There is also less reliance on pain medications post-surgery.
• Quick recovery: Patients who undergo robotic-assisted surgeries usually recover at a faster pace, have a shorter hospital stay and return to their normal activities within a few days.

Disadvantages of robotic-assisted surgery

• Little costlier: As robotic technology is relatively new and comes with advanced equipment, its operational cost is usually higher. This makes it a little costlier than open surgeries in most cases.
• Not for everyone and every case: Robotic surgeries are not a suitable option for everyone and every case. Your doctor will check whether robotic surgery is beneficial for you and whether you are the right candidate for the surgery.

Which one is better: open surgery or robotic surgery
Every technique has its own place. In some cases, open surgeries are considered more beneficial due to better access to the area being operated on. On the other hand, robotic surgeries provide better results to patients due to more precision and fewer incisions, allowing patients to recover and return to normal activities faster.

Consult our team to know what technique will be best for you. They will assess your health and reports and accordingly suggest the treatment regimen. We have one of the world’s most advanced surgical robots, the da Vinci Xi.

The da Vinci Xi is the advanced version of da Vinci, a system by Intuitive Surgical. It is designed to assist surgeons in performing many technically challenging surgeries through minimal incisions. It is a versatile and flexible robot that gives more power and control to the surgeon.