• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.48 no.5
• /
• pp.311-317
• /
• 2015

Background: Robotic surgery is an alternative to minimally invasive surgery. The aim of this study was to report on current trends in robotic thoracic and cardiovascular surgical techniques in Korea. Methods: Data from the National Evidence-based Healthcare Collaborating Agency (NECA) between January 2006 and June 2012 were used in this study, including a total of 932 cases of robotic surgeries reported to NECA. The annual trends in the case volume, indications for robotic surgery, and distribution by hospitals and surgeons were analyzed in this study. Results: Of the 932 cases, 591 (63%) were thoracic operations and 340 (37%) were cardiac operations. The case number increased explosively in 2007 and 2008. However, the rate of increase regained a steady state after 2011. The main indications for robotic thoracic surgery were pulmonary disease (n=271, 46%), esophageal disease (n=199, 34%), and mediastinal disease (n=117, 20%). The main indications for robotic cardiac surgery were valvular heart disease (n=228, 67%), atrial septal defect (n=79, 23%), and cardiac myxoma (n=27, 8%). Robotic thoracic and cardiovascular surgeries were performed in 19 hospitals. Three large volume hospitals performed 94% of the case volume of robotic cardiac surgery and 74% of robotic thoracic surgery. Centralization of robotic operation was significantly (p<0.0001) more common in cardiac surgery than in thoracic surgery. A total of 39 surgeons performed robotic surgeries. However, only 27% of cardiac surgeons and 23% of thoracic surgeons performed more than 10 cases of robotic surgery. Conclusion: Trend analysis of robotic and cardiovascular operations demonstrated a gradual increase in the surgical volume in Korea. Meanwhile, centralization of surgical cases toward specific surgeons in specific hospitals was observed.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
• /
• v.13 no.1
• /
• pp.19-25
• /
• 2013

Laparoscopic gastrectomy has been widely accepted especially in patients with early-stage gastric cancer. However, the safety and oncologic validity of laparoscopic gastrectomy for advanced gastric cancer are still being debated. Since the late 90s', we have been engaged in developing a stable and robust methodology of laparoscopic radical gastrectomy for advanced gastric cancer, and have established laparoscopic distinctive technique for suprapancreatic lymph node dissection, namely the outermost layer-oriented medial approach. In this article, We present the development history of this method, and current status and future perspectives of laparoscopic gastrectomy for advanced gastric cancer based on our experience and a review of the literature.

• 제어로봇시스템학회:학술대회논문집
• /
• 1990.10b
• /
• pp.985-989
• /
• 1990

This paper presents a fundamental study of a millimeter-sized master-slave robot driven by conduit-guided wires, which is expected to be applied to the delicate surgical operations, the assembling precise and small parts and so on. This system consists of a millimeter-sized slave robot and a master manipulator of which the size is adapted to a human finger. Displacement and torque of the master side can be reduced and transferred to the slave robot by controlling the motor torque against the master torque by feeding back tension signals. The master can feel the tensions by the motor torque. In this paper, the design method and making process of the master-slave system and the dynamical characteristic of displacement and torque control are proposed.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.54 no.2
• /
• pp.154-157
• /
• 2021

Tracheobronchial injury (TBI) is an uncommon but potentially fatal event. Iatrogenic lesions during bronchoscopy, endotracheal intubation, or thoracic surgery are considered the most common causes of TBI. When TBI is detected during surgery, concomitant surgical treatment is recommended. Herein we present a case of successful robotic primary repair of iatrogenic tracheal and left bronchial branch tears during a robot-assisted hybrid 3-stage esophagectomy after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy. A robotic approach can facilitate the repair of this injury while reducing both the potential risk of conversion to open surgery and the associated increased risk of postoperative respiratory complications.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
• /
• v.16 no.4
• /
• pp.240-246
• /
• 2016

Purpose: It is hypothesized that robotic gastrectomy may surpass laparoscopic gastrectomy after the operators acquire long-term experience and skills in the manipulation of robotic arms. This study aimed to evaluate the long-term learning curve of robotic distal gastrectomy (RDG) for gastric cancer compared with laparoscopic distal gastrectomy (LDG). Materials and Methods: From October 2008 to December 2015, patients who underwent LDG (n=809) were matched to patients who underwent RDG (n=232) at a 1:1 ratio, by using a propensity score matching method after stratification for the operative year. The surgical outcomes, such as trends of operative time, blood loss, and complication rate, were compared between the two groups. Results: The RDG group showed a longer operative time (171.3 minutes vs. 147.6 minutes, P<0.001) but less estimated blood loss (77.6 ml vs. 116.6 ml, P<0.001). The complication rate and postoperative recovery did not differ between the two groups. The RDG group showed a longer operative time and similar estimated blood loss compared with the LDG group after 5 years of experience (operative time: 159.2 minutes vs. 136.0 minutes in 2015, P=0.003; estimated blood loss: 72.9 ml vs. 78.1 ml in 2015, P=0.793). Conclusions: In terms of short-term surgical outcomes, RDG may not surpass LDG after a long-term experience with the technique.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
• /
• v.15 no.4
• /
• pp.270-277
• /
• 2015

Purpose: Minimally invasive gastrectomy (MIG), including laparoscopic distal subtotal gastrectomy (LDG) and robotic distal subtotal gastrectomy (RDG), is performed for gastric cancer, and requires a learning period. However, there are few reports regarding MIG by a beginner surgeon trained in MIG for gastric cancer during surgical residency and fellowship. The aim of this study was to report our initial experience with MIG, LDG, and RDG by a trained beginner surgeon. Materials and Methods: Between January 2014 and February 2015, a total of 36 patients (20 LDGs and 16 RDGs) underwent MIG by a beginner surgeon during the learning period, and 13 underwent open distal subtotal gastrectomy (ODG) by an experienced surgeon in Bundang CHA Medical Center. Demographic characteristics, operative findings, and short-term outcomes were evaluated for the groups. Results: MIG was safely performed without open conversion in all patients and there was no mortality in either group. There was no significant difference between the groups in demographic factors except for body mass index. There were significant differences in extent of lymph node dissection (LND) (D2 LND: ODG 8.3% vs. MIG 55.6%, P=0.004) and mean operative time (ODG 178.8 minutes vs. MIG 254.7 minutes, P<0.001). The serial changes in postoperative hemoglobin level (P=0.464) and white blood cell count (P=0.644) did not show significant differences between the groups. There were no significant differences in morbidity. Conclusions: This study showed that the operative and short-term outcomes of MIG for gastric cancer by a trained beginner surgeon were comparable with those of ODG performed by an experienced surgeon.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.43 no.5
• /
• pp.557-561
• /
• 2010

In the treatment of myasthenia gravis, thymectomy is generally accepted as the standard of therapy. For thymectomy, there have been various conventional open approaches including sternal splitting, but recently minimally invasive approaches have been increasingly applied. A 28-year-old man presenting with weakness of both hands and fatigability was diagnosed as having myasthenia gravis with thymic hyperplasia. He underwent a robot-assisted thymectomy with the 'da Vinci' surgical system. Through the right thoracic cavity, two thirds of the thymic gland was dissected, and the remainder was resected through the left; these procedures took, respectively, 1 hour and 30 minutes. The patient was discharged on the 8th postoperative day without complications. The minimally invasive approach with the 'da Vinci' surgical system is emerging as a popular choice and various advantages have been reported. Here we report the first successful case of robot-assisted thymectomy.

• 제어로봇시스템학회:학술대회논문집
• /
• 2003.10a
• /
• pp.2648-2653
• /
• 2003

This paper describes the development of a 3-DOF laparoscopic assistant robot system with motor-controlled bending and zooming mechanisms using the voice command motion control and auto-tracking control. The system is designed with two major criteria: safety and adaptability. To satisfy the safety criteria we designed the robot with optimized range of motion. For adaptability, the robot is designed with compact size to minimize interference with the staffs in the operating room. The required external motions were replaced by the bending mechanism within the abdomen using flexible laparoscope. The zooming of the robot is achieved through in and out motion at the port where the laparoscope is inserted. The robot is attachable to the bedside using a conventional laparoscope holder with multiple DOF joints and is compact enough for hand-carry. The voice-controlled command input and auto-tracking control is expected to enhance the overall performance of the system while reducing the control load imposed on the surgeon during a laparoscopic surgery. The proposed system is expected to have sufficient safety features and an easy-to-use interface to enhance the overall performance of current laparoscopy.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.39 no.12 s.269
• /
• pp.931-933
• /
• 2006

Robotic assisted surgery in adult patient with congenital ventricular septal defect Since December in 2005, we have done minimally invasive surgeries in selected cases of mitral valve diseases, tricuspid valve diseases, atrial septal defects and atrial fibrillations with the $AESOP^{TM}$ robotic arm. We have had a better surgical view and skill, according to accumulation of the experience of this procedure. Recently, we performed robotic assisted surgery in a 47-year-old female with congenital perimembranous ventricular septal defect.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
• /
• v.14 no.3
• /
• pp.211-214
• /
• 2014

We report our experience of a concurrent robot assisted distal gastrectomy and partial nephrectomy for synchronous early gastric cancer and renal cell carcinoma. A 55-year-old female patient was diagnosed with early gastric cancer on screening endoscopy. Abdominal computed tomography showed an incidental right renal cell carcinoma. Robot assisted distal gastrectomy was performed, followed by partial nephrectomy. The final pathological examination showed signet ring cell carcinoma within the lamina propria and renal cell carcinoma with negative resection margins. The patient showed no evidence of recurrence at 6-months. A robot-assisted combined operation could be a treatment option for early stages of synchronous malignancies.