Brazil is the first South American country to perform surgery with DaVinci robot

The German Hospital Oswaldo Cruz, São Paulo, became the first hospital in Latin America to perform robotic surgery for reconstruction of the Brachial Plexus robot using the Da Vinci S HD. The procedure was performed by the physician Gustavo Mantovani.

The Brachial Plexus is a set of motor and sensory nerves that exit the cervical spine and is responsible for providing sensitivity and motor function to the entire upper limb. The lesions usually affect adults who have suffered accidents or motorcycle in contact sports, and newborns at delivery.

The surgery is delicate and aims to improve the functionality of the arms and hands. The immediate outcome in the first week after surgery was great and it is expected that the patient has a good recovery of sensation and motor function, the doctor said, adding that a more accurate assessment can be made within three to six months.

To rebuild the roots C5 and C6, which form the upper trunk of the plexus, was removed a nerve graft from a patient's legs. This does not cause any major problems, only a small area of ​​the foot may be numb, but the function of the lower limbs remains normal, says Mantovani. The robot was used for micro-suturing the graft and worked as a substitute for conventional microscope, providing high-resolution vision surgeon. Moreover, to perform the microscopic sutures with greater precision movements of the doctor's hand, abolishing any tremor. In the future this technology may enable minimally invasive, which promotes recovery and decreases the chances of nosocomial infection.

Similar surgeries have been done in France and the United States, leaving Brazil and the Oswaldo Cruz German Hospital highlighted the development scenario of this surgical procedure. The robot Da Vinci S HD also becomes increasingly important in urologic surgery and digestive system.

Gustavo Mantovani

Orthopedic surgeon and a member of the Clinical Hospital of the German Oswaldo Cruz, Gustavo Mantovani founded in partnership with Professor Philippe Livernaux, head of the Department of Hand Surgery and Microsurgery at the University of Strasbourg (France), Society for Research and Training use the robot for hand surgery, Robotic Assisted Surgery of the Hand (RASH), serving as instructor to teach the technique to other doctors in Europe.

Additionally, in partnership with the University of Strasbourg, with support from Intuitive Surgical in Sunnyvale, California, has devised a technique for endoscopic treatment of brachial plexus injuries. The project was recently published in the Journal of Neurosurgery, major medical journal Neurosurgery, and is in final stage of refinement to start using in patients with acute injuries immediately after trauma.

He also developed a training model in microsurgery to avoid the use of live animals such as mice and rabbits to simulate the suturing of small arteries, using common earthworms, which today is used in training courses with the robot Da Vinci S HD in France .

France