RM INTERVIEW – DR AZAT CHAMZIN, UROLOGICAL SURGEON
Da Vinci significantly pushed the boundaries of modern urological surgical procedures. Da Vinci robot-assisted prostatectomy and the work of the robot da Vinci at all is a truly fascinating area of contemporary medicine that could be talked about for hours. This time we spoke with Dr Azat Chamzin, a specialist surgeon in urology.
How did this procedure look 10 years ago and where did it go with the da Vinci robot?
10 years ago, the number of radical prostatectomies assisted by the da Vinci robotic system began to increase sharply at the expense of open and laparoscopic methods. The principle of the radical prostatectomy (prostate removal) remains essentially the same since its onset.
A surgeon is used to a direct contact with the human body. How does it feel to operate a human using the joystick?
The basic surgical principles are the same for all of the above-mentioned methods (e.g. the principle of traction and contraction). However, the da Vinci robotic system enables perfect visualization and precise movements in inaccessible places of the human body (in urology this means the pelvic area). Surgeons are getting used to the absence of tactile sensation when operating with the joystick thanks to perfect three-dimensional imaging of the operating field. The use of the da Vinci robotic system has thus significantly pushed the limits of the possibilities of modern urological oncology and reconstructive surgery, while at the same time the risk of postoperative complications for patients has been reduced as well as the length of postoperative rehabilitation.
To what extent does the surgery still remain in the hands of the surgeon? Could you estimate the percentage of robot vs. doctor? What aspects on the contrary, the robot will never replace?
The operation remains fully in the hands of the surgeon or the entire operating team. It is basically a sophisticated assistive handling system for laparoscopic surgery (hence the exact name of the method: robot assisted laparoscopic operativa).
Do you want to know more about da Vinci assisted prostatectomy? Contact us for more detailed information, or for an appointment for a consultation!
Also, you can read more here about the da Vinci robot.
