Surgical robots have been used for years in healthcare, but the latest iterations give doctors more precision, flexibility and control. These devices consist of a camera and robotic arms that connect to a control console. An assistant monitors the robot while a surgeon controls it from a console nearby.
Dr. Keith Mortman, director of thoracic surgery at The George Washington University Hospital in Washington, D.C., says robotic assistance gives surgeons more control over procedures in areas such as the lungs, esophagus and chest wall. “We have the ability to simultaneously control all four arms for that robot, with one arm holding the camera,” Mortman says.
