Docking Methods for Robot-assisted Rhytidectomy and Platysmaplasty

In recent years, the development of robotic surgery has been rapidly evolving as well as the interest in their use due to the advantages they provide, such as precision in dissection, the ability to magnify the visualization of the operative field up to 20:1, and the ability to operate in hard-to-reach areas that otherwise cannot be achieved using the traditional methods. Research is being published constantly on the utilization of such robots within the fields of general surgery, oncology, and urology, with few cases in maxillofacial surgery.

There are no docking algorithms or methods for plastic surgery operations, especially those involving the head and neck area. In this article, we explore different docking methods with da Vinci Si, Xi, and 5 surgical systems for aesthetic facial and neck surgery.

The results of the multiple different techniques used highlighted a few possible access points, whereas others were deemed impractical due to certain limitations such as the limited maneuverability of the robot's arms, the angles required for safe access, and the patient's body limiting the movement of the robot. Da Vinci 5 comes with significant advantages compared with its predecessors due to its novel and improved technologies, such as force feedback technology and artificial intelligence greatly enhancing the robot's usability.

Robotic surgery is a viable operative method that is beneficial for improving the outcomes when using the appropriate docking methods.