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Senhance Robotic Platform in Pediatrics: Early US Experience
Maria Consuelo Puentes1,2, Marko Rojnica1,3, Thomas Sims1,3
1Department of Surgery, The University of Illinois, 840 S Wood Street, Ste 416, Chicago, IL 60612, USA.
Insights
The Senhance robotic system is safe and effective for pediatric surgery, with no apparent lower age or weight limits. This robotic platform offers advantages for minimally invasive procedures in young patients.
Area of Science:
- Minimally invasive surgery
- Pediatric surgical robotics
- Surgical technology adoption
Background:
- Established robotic systems often lack features crucial for pediatric surgery.
- Pediatric patients have unique anatomical and physiological considerations for surgical interventions.
Observation:
- The Senhance robotic system was evaluated in eight pediatric patients aged 4 months to 17 years.
- Procedures included cholecystectomy, inguinal herniorrhaphy, orchidopexy, and cyst exploration.
- The system demonstrated feasibility and ease of use in this cohort.
Findings:
- All robotic procedures were completed successfully, with no blood loss or complications.
- The 4-month-old, 8 kg patient underwent successful robotic exploration.
- 3 mm instruments facilitated successful robotic manipulation in all cases.
Implications:
- The Senhance system shows promise as a safe and effective option for pediatric surgery.
- The platform appears suitable for a wide range of pediatric patients, regardless of age or weight.
- Further evaluation of the Senhance robotic platform in pediatric surgery is warranted.
Introduction:
Different robotic systems have been used widely in human surgery since 2000, but pediatric patients require some features that are lacking in the most frequently used robotic systems.
Hypothesis:
The Senhance® robotic system is a safe and an effective device for use in infants and children that has some advantages over other robotic systems.
Methods:
All patients between 0 and 18 years of age whose surgery was amenable to laparoscopy were offered enrollment in this IRB-approved study. We assessed the feasibility, ease and safety of using this robotic platform in pediatric patients including: set-up time, operative time, conversions, complications and outcomes.
Results:
Eight patients, ranging from 4 months to 17 years of age and weighing between 8 and 130 kg underwent a variety of procedures including: cholecystectomy (3), inguinal herniorrhaphy (3), orchidopexy for undescended testes (1) and exploration for a suspected enteric duplication cyst (1). All robotic procedures were successfully performed. The 4-month-old (mo), 8 kg patient underwent an uneventful robotic exploration in an attempt to locate a cyst that was hidden in the mesentery at the junction of the terminal ileum and cecum, but ultimately the patient required an anticipated laparotomy to palpate the cyst definitively and to excise it completely. There was no blood loss and no complications. Robotic manipulation with the reusable 3 mm instruments proved successful in all cases.
Conclusions:
Our initial experience with the Senhance® robotic platform suggests that this is a safe and effective device for pediatric surgery that is easy to use, and which warrants continued evaluation. Most importantly, there appears to be no lower age or weight restrictions to its use.
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