Utilization of robotic systems in surgical oncology

Abstract

The impact of robotic surgery in surgical oncology has greatly increased over the past decades. As an example, radical prostatectomy is mainly performed as a robotic procedure in Scandinavia and the USA. In Germany, an enormous increase has also been documented. Complex anatomical and reconstructive operations, such as upper abdominal surgery are particularly amenable to the use of robotics when laparoscopy has reached its limits. Examples of this are pancreatic and esophageal surgery but complex renal tumors, which as a rule are treated by open surgery, also represent indications for robotic surgery. In operative gynecology, robotic surgery is an important component in the treatment of endometrial cancer. The intention of this article is to present and critically discuss the indications for robotic surgery in the fields of surgery, urology and gynecology.