So, what exactly is robotic surgery? Robotic Surgery is the use of a robotic machine to perform surgery on humans. One main reason robotic surgery was created was because it is minimally invasive, which results in much less tissue damage/trauma to the patient receiving surgery. Robotic surgery leaves fewer incisions on patients, and almost always leaves the patient with a quicker recovery time. Robotic surgery is also beneficial and important because it allows doctors to be much more precise then they could be just with their human hand. Two negative aspects of robotic surgery is that the robots are very expensive, and there can be complications. There have been cases in which the robotic surgery has caused injuries to the patient.
There are three different types of robotic surgery. The first is the Supervisory-Controlled system. This system is also known as a computer assisted surgery. With this method, the doctor is still very involved with the surgery. The second type is the Telesurgical system, which provides 3D visuals in areas that are hard to see in the body. This system makes it much easier to see deeper into the patient's body. Robot arms are controlled by the doctor to produce very precise movements. A well known robot that is used in this method is called the Da Vinci. Finally, there is a Shared-Control system. In this system the surgeon/ doctor does most of the work, and the robot just assists them.
Link to website about Robotic Surgery: http://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/surgicalservices/roboticsurgery/faqs.html