Minimally invasive surgery should be the gold standard for surgical removal of the spleen. It was first described in 1991 by Delaitre and in the last two decades it has progressively become the procedure of choice for non-traumatic splenic lesions. LS can be performed with times comparable to those required for open splenectomy, as well as minimal morbidity and less postoperative pain. The postoperative length of stay is also significantly reduced following LS, which in turn can lead to decreased hospital costs
Laparoscopy does, have some disadvantages, including two-dimensional vision and rigid tools, which can make splenectomy for splenomegaly challenging.
Here comes robotic surgery to overcome these limitations providing “wristlike” instruments and three-dimensional view, resulting in high-resolution binocular view of the surgical field and more precise dissection of the splenic vessels even in difficult situations .
The robotic system is particularly beneficial in difficult splenectomies (i.e., partial splenectomy, splenectomy in liver cirrhosis, splenic tumors, or malignant hemopathies).
Other advantages of robotic splenectomy include:
• A small incision. An incision that is the about the size of a pencil eraser reduces scarring, recovery time, blood loss and risk of infection.
• Better visibility. Using a high definition, 3-D camera provides the surgeon with better visibility than laparoscopic minimally invasive surgery.
• Increased precision. The wristed robotic arms have a greater range of motion than a human hand. This allows the surgeon to maneuver instruments in ways that deliver the best surgical results.
• Less postoperative pain, due to less trauma tissue
• Les length of hospital stay