The atmosphere in the operating theatre is taut with concentration. The heart surgeon moves one arm slightly, then the other. Then, with the third arm...
Third arm? This is the world of robotic surgery at CSTAR—Canadian Surgical Technologies and Advanced Robotics. The real surgeon in this operating room is sitting a few meters away from the patient, operating a four-armed robot from a separate console that includes a three-dimensional visual interface. The robot, named da Vinci, enables surgeons at CSTAR to perform complex procedures with an unprecedented degree of precision and control. And the delicate extensions of the robot’s arms make it possible for the doctors to do their work through tiny incisions that are less intrusive and quicker to heal.
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| Hands-Off Surgery Robot surgery means more precision, less trauma— and the possibility of long-distance procedures. |
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Attracting and keeping the best:
Bob Kiaii Dr. Bob Kiaii leads the Robotic Coronary Artery Bypass research project at CSTAR. He received his MD from The University of Western Ontario, in London, where he also received his cardiac surgery training. But his quest for experience in robotic surgery then took him to Europe, where he completed a fellowship in minimally invasive and robotic cardiac surgery at Leipzig Heart Centre in Leipzig, Germany. Today he’s back home. “The fact that the infrastructure and funding were in place at CSTAR played a very important role in my returning to Ontario,” says Dr. Kiaii. Using CSTAR technology—funded in part by an Ontario Innovation Trust investment—he and his team recently achieved a North American first by completing two different robotic procedures to clear blocked arteries during a single episode of care in the operating room. |
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Scientists like Dr. Rajni Patel, Director of Engineering at CSTAR, are also experimenting with extending even further the tether that joins robot and human surgeon. “Tele-surgery” may one day enable skilled physicians to perform specialized procedures on patients thousands of kilometres away—making surgery more “hands-off” than ever.
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A trust endowed by the
Ontario Government |
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