• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.141-149
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• 2018

With the enthusiasm regarding robotic application in radical prostatectomy in accordance with the widespread use of serum prostate-specific antigen as a screening test, the number of surgeries performed for complete removal of the gland is increasing continuously. However, owing to the adjacent anatomical location of the prostate to the nerve and urethral sphincter complex, functional recovery, namely improvement from post-prostatectomy incontinence (PPI) and post-prostatectomy erectile dysfunction, still remains a main problem for patients who are reluctant to undergo surgery and tend to choose alternative ways instead. Since the late 1980s, the introduction of radical prostatectomy by open surgical modalities, the depth of the anatomical understanding of the structure surrounding the prostate is getting tremendous, which leads to the development of new surgical modalities and techniques that are consequently aimed at reducing the incidences of PPI and erectile dysfunction. Briefly, recent data from robotic radical prostatectomy, particularly on PPI, are quite acceptable, but by contrast, the reported potency regain rate still remains <20%, which indicates the need for advanced surgical modification to overcome it. In this review, the authors summarized the recent findings on the anatomy and surgical techniques reported up to now.

• Obstetrics & gynecology science
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• v.61 no.6
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• pp.693-697
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• 2018

Aggressive angiomyxoma (AA) is a very rare mesenchymal tumor most commonly found in the pelvic and perineal regions. For the complete excision of retrorectal tumors, with extension through the levator muscle into the ischioanal space, open anterior and posterior approaches are typically required. Herein, we report our experience with robotic excision of a giant presacral AA with extralevator extension into the ischioanal space and extraction via Pfannenstiel incision, which we found to be technically feasible, efficacious, and safe to perform. Mayo Clinic Institutional Review Board exemption status was obtained for this study.

• Annals of Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.131-140
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• 2023

During minimally invasive liver resection (MILR), the Pringle maneuver aims to minimize blood loss and provide a clear operative field, thereby identifying intrahepatic structures and facilitating safe parenchymal transection. Several techniques for using the Pringle maneuver in MILR have been described. This review presents various methods which have been reported in the literature. A systematic literature search used the MEDLINE/PubMed database from its earliest records to August 2022 using appropriate search headings and keywords. The primary outcome was identifying techniques for performing hepatic inflow occlusion during laparoscopic/robotic hepatectomy. Inclusion criteria consisted of publications describing technical steps to obtain hepatic inflow occlusion during minimally invasive hepatectomy. A literature search identified 23 relevant publications, and the full texts were examined. The techniques described in the reports can be broadly categorized into three groups: (1) the Rummel-tourniquet technique, (2) vascular clamp use, and (3) the Huang Loop technique. Various techniques have been used in MILR to achieve inflow confinement successfully. The authors prefer the modified Huang Loop technique because it is inexpensive, reliable, and quick to apply or release. Hepatobiliary surgeons are advised to familiarize themselves with these MILR techniques, which have proven effective and safe inflow occlusion.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.55 no.1
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• pp.55-60
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• 2022

Background: Robot-assisted repair of atrial septal defect (ASD) can be performed under either beating-heart or non-beating-heart conditions. However, the risk of cerebral air embolism (i.e., stroke) is a concern in the beating-heart approach. This study aimed to compare the outcomes of beating- and non-beating-heart approaches in robot-assisted ASD repair. Methods: From 2010 to 2019, a total of 45 patients (mean age, 43.4±14.6 years; range, 19-79 years) underwent ASD repair using the da Vinci robotic surgical system. Twenty-seven of these cases were performed on a beating heart (beating-heart group, n=27) and the other cases were performed on an arrested or fibrillating heart (non-beating-heart group, n=18). Cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) was achieved via cannulation of the femoral vessels and the right internal jugular vein in all patients. Results: Complete ASD closure was verified using intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography in all patients. Conversion to open surgery was not performed in any cases, and there were no major complications. All patients recovered from anesthesia without any immediate postoperative neurologic symptoms. In a subgroup analysis of isolated ASD patch repair (beating-heart group: n=22 vs. non-beating-heart group: n=5), the operation time and CPB time were shorter in the beating-heart group (234±38 vs. 253±29 minutes, p=0.133 and 113±28 vs. 143±29 minutes, p=0.034, respectively). Conclusion: Robot-assisted ASD repair can be safely performed with the beating-heart approach. No additional risk in terms of cerebral embolism was found in the beating-heart group.

• Korean Journal of Computational Design and Engineering
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.198-207
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• 2012

This paper presents an overview of automated robotic system for skull drilling, which is performed to access for some neurosurgical interventions, such as brain tumor resection. Currently surgeons use automatic-releasing cranial perforators. The drilling procedure must be performed very carefully to avoid penetration of brain nerve structures; however failure cases are reported. The presented prototype system utilizes both preoperative and intraoperative information. Preoperative CT image is used for robot path planning. A NeuroMate robot with a six-DOF force sensor at the end effector is used for intraoperative operation. Intraoperative cutting force from the force sensor is the key information to revise an initial registration and preoperative path plans. Some possibilities are verified by path simulation but cadaver experiments are required for validation of this prototype.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.8
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• pp.4945-4945
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• 2013

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.24 no.7
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• pp.640-646
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• 2023

Objective: Prospective studies on postoperative residual breast tissue (RBT) after robotic-assisted nipple-sparing mastectomy (R-NSM) for breast cancer are limited. RBT presents an unknown risk of local recurrence or the development of new cancer after curative or risk-reducing mastectomies. This study investigated the technical feasibility of using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to evaluate RBT after R-NSM in women with breast cancer. Materials and Methods: In this prospective pilot study, 105 patients, who underwent R-NSM for breast cancer at Changhua Christian Hospital between March 2017 and May 2022, were subjected to postoperative breast MRI to evaluate the presence and location of RBT. The postoperative MRI scans of 43 patients (age, 47.8 ± 8.5 years), with existing preoperative MRI scans, were evaluated for the presence and location of RBT. In total, 54 R-NSM procedures were performed. In parallel, we reviewed the literature on RBT after nipple-sparing mastectomy, considering its prevalence. Results: RBT was detected in 7 (13.0%) of the 54 mastectomies (6 of the 48 therapeutic mastectomies and 1 of the 6 prophylactic mastectomies). The most common location for RBT was behind the nipple-areolar complex (5 of 7 [71.4%]). Another RBT was found in the upper inner quadrant (2 of 7 [28.6%]). Among the six patients who underwent RBT after therapeutic mastectomies, one patient developed a local recurrence of the skin flap. The other five patients with RBT after therapeutic mastectomies remained disease-free. Conclusion: R-NSM, a surgical innovation, does not seem to increase the prevalence of RBT, and breast MRI showed feasibility as a noninvasive imaging tool for evaluating the presence and location of RBT.

• Journal of Institute of Control, Robotics and Systems
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.345-355
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• 2014

Since the beginning of the 21st century, emergence of innovative technologies in robotic and telepresence surgery has revolutionized minimally access surgery and continually has advanced them till recent years. One of such surgeries is endoscopic surgery, in which endoscope and endoscopic instruments are inserted into the body through small incision or natural openings, surgical operations being carried out by a laparoscopic procedure. Due to a vast amount of developments in this technology, this review article describes only a technological state-of-the arts and trend of endoscopic robots, being further limited to the aspects of key components, their functional requirements and operational procedure in surgery. In particular, it first describes technological limitations in developments of key components and then focuses on the description of the performance required for their functions, which include position control, tracking, navigation, and manipulation of the flexible endoscope body and its end effector as well, and so on. In spite of these rapid developments in functional components, endoscopic surgical robots should be much smaller, less expensive, easier to operate, and should seamlessly integrate emerging technologies for their intelligent vision and dexterous hands not only from the points of the view of surgical, ergonomic but also from safety. We believe that in these respects a medical robotic technology related to endoscopic surgery continues to be revolutionized in the near future, sufficient enough to replace almost all kinds of current endoscopic surgery. This issue remains to be addressed elsewhere in some other review articles.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.105-115
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• 2019

Brain tumor surgery may be difficult, but it is also incredibly important. The technological improvements for traditional brain tumor surgeries have always been a focus to improve the precision of surgery and release the potential of the technology in this important area of the body. The need for precision during brain tumor surgery has led to an increase in Robotic-assisted surgeries (RAS). One of the challenges to the widespread acceptance of RAS in the neurosurgery is to recognize invisible tumor accurately. Therefore, it is important to detect brain tumor size and location because surgeon tries to remove as much tumor as possible. In this paper, we proposed brain tumor detection procedures for MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) system. A method of automatic brain tumor detection is needed to accurately target the location of the lesion during brain tumor surgery and to report the location and size of the lesion. In the qualitative assessment, the proposed method showed better results than those obtained with other brain tumor detection methods. Comparisons among all assessment criteria indicated that the proposed method was significantly superior to the threshold method with respect to all assessment criteria. The proposed method was effective for detecting brain tumor.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.150-155
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• 2018

Recently, an increasing interest in less invasive surgery has led to the advent of laparoendoscopic single-site surgery (LESS) and natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES). LESS and NOTES could be technically challenging, but available literature has demonstrated the feasibility and safety of LESS for benign gynecologic diseases. However, the evidence is not strong enough to recommend the use of LESS over that of conventional multiport laparoscopic surgery (MLS). As per the results of the most recently published meta-analysis, the majority of surgical outcomes are equivalent between LESS and MLS, except for the longer operative time in LESS for both adnexal surgery and hysterectomy. Although an increasing number of studies have reported on robotic LESS, NOTES, and LESS for gynecologic malignancy, definite conclusions have not been drawn owing to the lack of sufficient information.