Laparoscopic Robotics
Laparoscopic Prostatectomy Robots
If you choose to have a laparoscopic prostatectomy, your surgeon will operate with the help of a robot. Our surgeons, UW Medicine surgeons who treat SCCA patients, use one of two types of robot when performing laparoscopic prostatectomies.
Your surgeon will remove your prostate gland through several very small incisions, using special cameras and instruments, including either the da Vinci robot or AESOP, a voice-activated robot that holds the laparoscope for the surgeon. UW medicine is the only medical center in the Northwest and one of the few in the country that offers both conventional laparoscopic prostatectomy using AESOP and robotic prostatectomy using the da Vinci surgical system.
AESOP
Your surgeon may use an AESOP robot when performing your laparoscopic prostatectomy. AESOP stands for Automated Endoscopic System for Optimal Positioning. AESOP is a voice-activated mechanical arm used by your surgeon to position and hold the laparoscope (telescope), leaving the doctor¹s hands free to perform surgery through several small incisions. The robotic arm is able to move the laparoscope in precise increments with a steadier view than can be provided by a human holding the scope, because AESOP never becomes tired.
"AESOP is very reliable and gives an excellent view of the prostate during laparoscopic prostatectomy," says Dr. William Ellis, the head of laparoscopic surgery in the Department of Urology at UW Medicine.
da Vinci
With the $1 million da Vinci robot, the surgeon sits at a console near the patient and uses joysticks and foot pedals to control the robot, which actually performs the surgery. One robot arm holds the camera, while two more hold the surgical instruments.
The most common procedure done with this robot is prostate surgery, but it is also used for gallbladder and heart surgery. Dr. Ellis says he likes the da Vinci robot because it gives the surgeon a “true three-dimensional view” while operating laparoscopically.
Both robots are made by Intuitive Surgical Inc. based in Sunnyvale, California.