Robot surgeon executes precise and consistent suturing on animal tissue

Researchers have been able to programme a robot to work on animal tissues to execute precise and consistent suturing. The research which was published in the journal Science Translational Medicine yesterday promises to improve results for patients and make the best surgical techniques more widely available.

Simon Leonard, an assistant research professor in the Whiting School of Engineering, at the John Hopkins University, worked with five co-authors, all affiliated with Children's National Health System in Washington, D.C. - Azad Shademan, Justin D Opfermann, Peter CW Kim, Johns Hopkins alumnus Axel Krieger, and Ryan S. Decker.

"There's a wide range of skills out there" among surgeons, said Leonard, who worked for four years to program the robotic arm to precisely stitch together pieces of soft tissue , medicalxpress.com reported.  He added, putting a robot to work in this form of surgery "really levels the playing field."

Limited robotic automation had already found acceptance in surgeries involving rigid structures such as bones, which are easier to hold still during the procedure, unlike soft tissue which could move and change shape in complex ways as stitching proceeded.

A surgeon's skill is therefore necessary to respond to these changes and keep suturing as tight and even as possible.

Much like autonomous cars, the research formed part of a move toward autonomous surgical robots, removing the surgeon's hands from certain tasks that a machine might perform all by itself, according to commentators.

But, doctors would not be leaving the bedside, they are supposed to supervise, they would also handle the rest of the surgery. The device was also not ready for operating rooms.

But according to the report, the robotic arm did as good a job and in some cases a better one as some competing surgeons in stitching up intestinal tissue in pigs.

"The purpose wasn't to replace surgeons," said Dr Kim said, AP reported. "If you have an intelligent tool that works with a surgeon, can it improve the outcome? That's what we have done."