Health professionals of the Malaga Regional Hospital where the robot is installed. SUR

Da Vinci robot performs complex hernia operation in Malaga

The procedure at the Regional Hospital of Malaga was the first complex abdominal wall surgery by the robot

Friday, 9 December 2022, 13:26

Professionals at the Regional Hospital of Malaga have performed the first complex abdominal wall surgery with the Da Vinci robot. Until now, such interventions have been performed conventionally, using open or minimally invasive (laparoscopic) surgery, the hospital said. The advantages of using a robot includes less post-operative pain, less inflammation of the tissues and a faster recovery time.

Last May, the digestive surgery and transplant department of the Regional Hospital launched the abdominal wall robotic surgery programme, mainly dedicated to the repair of hernias in the abdominal area.

On 18 November, professionals from this department performed the first operation using the robot-assisted posterior component separation technique, which consisted of separating the muscles of the abdominal wall in order to close the hernia and insert a tension-free mesh. The patient, a 68-year-old woman, was referred to the unit for repair of a large complex abdominal hernia after several previous surgeries. She was admitted for two days and discharged.

The surgeon who performed the operation, José Rivas, explains that the advantage of using a robot over conventional surgery is the minimally invasive approach with greater precision than standard laparoscopic surgery. "In this way, we can access intermuscular spaces that are very difficult to dissect, which means less bleeding, less post-operative pain and an earlier recovery, which means a better quality of life for the patient," Rivas said.

The assisted procedure is a milestone in the repair of the complex abdominal wall and has placed the department of general surgery, digestive system and transplants of the Regional Hospital, directed by the surgeon Julio Santoyo, at the forefront of robotic surgery in Spain.

The Da Vinci robot is the most complete and developed robotic surgery system. The Regional Hospital has had this state-of-the-art equipment for 15 years. Since its commissioning the robot has performed more than 1,700 operations carried out by the digestive surgery, urology and obstetrics and gynaecology departments.

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