Robotic telemanipulating surgical systems for laparoscopy: the story so far in the UK

Surgical robotics is, at present, one of the most dynamically developing areas of biomedical engineering that has been proven to increase the stability and robustness of surgery. Robotics can integrate, assist, control and extend the human capabilities, correcting for manual errors, or record the spatial points-of-interest and motions. This is of importance as an adjunct to many laparoscopic subspecialty procedures, from cardiac to pelvic surgery. Evidence-based medicine is now demonstrating that robotized equipment can greatly add to the preoperative simulation, the ergonomics of the procedure, the preoperative simulation and the risk-free training of the surgeon with precision surgery and less trauma to the patient. This article discusses the robots that are clinically available at present and their importance to the surgeon and patient.