Video

Intuitive for General Surgery Patients

Within your abdomen are vital organs that make it possible for you to convert food into energy and nutrients to fuel your body. The organs of your digestive tract include your stomach, pancreas, liver, gallbladder, and intestines. When conditions affecting your digestive tract lower your quality of life, and if lifestyle changes, medicines, and other options don’t improve your symptoms, your doctor may suggest surgery.

In the past, surgeons made large incisions in skin and muscle so that they could directly see and work on the area of concern. This is called open surgery. Today doctors still perform open surgery, but can also perform many procedures in the abdomen and on the digestive tract, often called General Surgery, using minimally invasive laparoscopic or robotic-assisted surgery, possibly with da Vinci® technology.

Both minimally invasive approaches only require one or a few small incisions that doctors use to insert surgical equipment and a camera for viewing. In laparoscopic surgery, doctors use special long-handled tools to perform surgery while viewing magnified images from the laparoscope (camera) on a video screen.

The da Vinci is a surgical system comprised of three components: surgeon console, patient-side cart, and vision cart.

The surgeon console is where your surgeon sits during the procedure, has a close-up 3D view of your anatomy, and controls the instruments. The instruments are “wristed” and move like a human hand, but with a far greater range of motion.

The patient-side cart is positioned near the patient on the operating table. It is where the instruments used during the operation move in real time in response to your surgeon’s hand movements at the surgeon console.

The vision cart makes communication between the components of the system possible and supports the latest 3D high-definition vision system.

It’s important to remember that Intuitive does not provide medical advice. After discussing all options with your doctor, only you and your doctor can determine whether surgery with da Vinci is appropriate for your situation. You should always ask your surgeon about his or her training, experience, and patient outcomes.

More about da Vinci

• Bariatric surgery
• Gallbladder surgery
• Inguinal hernia repair
• Ventral hernia repair
• Acid reflux disease surgery (nissen fundoplication)
• Stomach surgery (gastrectomy)
• Pancreas surgery (pancreatectomy and pancreaticoduodenectomy/Whipple procedure)
• Small bowel surgery
• Spleen surgery (splenectomy)

Talk with your doctor if you have any additional questions about these procedures.

Find a da Vinci surgeon

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Patients should talk to their doctors to decide if da Vinci® surgery is right for them. Patients and doctors should review all available information on nonsurgical and surgical options and associated risks in order to make an informed decision. 

Serious complications may occur in any surgery, including da Vinci surgery, up to and including death. Serious risks include, but are not limited to, injury to tissues and organs and conversion to other surgical techniques, which could result in a longer operative time and/or increased complications. For Important Safety Information, including surgical risks, indications, and considerations and contraindications for use, please also refer to www.intuitive.com/safety.

Individuals' outcomes may depend on a number of factors, including but not limited to patient characteristics, disease characteristics, and/or surgeon experience.

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©2019 Intuitive Surgical, Inc. All rights reserved. Product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders. The information on this website is intended for a United States audience only.

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This website does not provide medical advice. If you think you have a medical emergency, call your doctor or 911 immediately.

The materials on this website are for general educational information only. Information you read on this website cannot replace the relationship that you have with your healthcare professional. Intuitive Surgical does not practice medicine or provide medical services or advice and the information on this website should not be considered medical advice. You should always talk to your healthcare provider for diagnosis and treatment. Health information changes quickly. Therefore, it is always best to consult with your healthcare provider.

If you have questions about the da Vinci® Surgical System or about surgical procedures conducted with the da Vinci Surgical System, consult a surgeon that has experience with the da Vinci Surgical System. A list of surgeons that have experience with the da Vinci Surgical System can be found in the Surgeon Locator.