[UPPER GASTROINTESTINAL SURGERY ON THE ESOPHAGUS AND STOMACH]

In recent years, the number of facilities performing endoscopic surgeries, i.e., thoracoscopic and laparoscopic surgery, of the upper gastrointestinal tract has increased. Endoscopic surgery has many advantages, such as magnification effects, good lighting, and a wide field of view in deep, narrow spaces. On the other hand, there are some technical difficulties in performing endoscopic procedures as in conventional open surgeries. Compared with endoscopic surgery, robotic surgery may facilitate more accurate, safer operations. The da Vinci Surgical System is a high-quality robotic system used for endoscopic surgeries, which offers a three-dimensional view, more degrees of freedom of the instruments, a tremor-filtering system, etc. However, in the absence of adequate operator skill and knowledge, the system cannot provide substantial improvements in the surgical technique. Endoscopic and robotic surgery must be used to offer treatment to patients which is at least equivalent to conventional surgery.