OBJECTIVES: To analyze the incidence of malfunction of the da Vinci robotic system in a single center and to provide potential solutions. METHODS: A total of 400 patients underwent da Vinci robotic urological surgery at Taichung Veterans General Hospital in Taichung, Taiwan, from December 2005 to April 2011. Episodes of malfunction of the robotic system were analyzed by period of operation, type of procedure, type of malfunction and management of the event. RESULTS: Overall, 14 cases of malfunction occurred (3.5% of the entire series). Among them, five (1.25%) occurred before the surgery and nine (2.25%) intraoperatively. Operative procedures included radical prostatectomy, bilateral pelvic lymph node dissection, dismembered pyeloplasty, partial nephrectomy, nephroureterectomy, and radical and partial cystectomies. Areas of malfunctions included the robotic arm system and joint (11/14), optical system (1/14), power system and connector (1/14), endoscopic instrument (1/14), and software (1/14). In 10 cases, the failure was recoverable, whereas in four cases there was a critical failure, requiring a conversion to standard laparoscopy in three of them, and the rescheduling of the surgery in one case. CONCLUSIONS: The da Vinci robotic system is extremely reliable for use in urology. Malfunction is rare and the risk of critical failure is very low. Managing mechanical failure before or during the surgery is the key to maintaining the safety of patients undergoing robotic surgical procedures.
OBJECTIVES: To analyze the incidence of malfunction of the da Vinci robotic system in a single center and to provide potential solutions. METHODS: A total of 400 patients underwent da Vinci robotic urological surgery at Taichung Veterans General Hospital in Taichung, Taiwan, from December 2005 to April 2011. Episodes of malfunction of the robotic system were analyzed by period of operation, type of procedure, type of malfunction and management of the event. RESULTS: Overall, 14 cases of malfunction occurred (3.5% of the entire series). Among them, five (1.25%) occurred before the surgery and nine (2.25%) intraoperatively. Operative procedures included radical prostatectomy, bilateral pelvic lymph node dissection, dismembered pyeloplasty, partial nephrectomy, nephroureterectomy, and radical and partial cystectomies. Areas of malfunctions included the robotic arm system and joint (11/14), optical system (1/14), power system and connector (1/14), endoscopic instrument (1/14), and software (1/14). In 10 cases, the failure was recoverable, whereas in four cases there was a critical failure, requiring a conversion to standard laparoscopy in three of them, and the rescheduling of the surgery in one case. CONCLUSIONS: The da Vinci robotic system is extremely reliable for use in urology. Malfunction is rare and the risk of critical failure is very low. Managing mechanical failure before or during the surgery is the key to maintaining the safety of patients undergoing robotic surgical procedures.
Authors: Emad Rajih; Côme Tholomier; Beatrice Cormier; Vanessa Samouëlian; Thomas Warkus; Moishe Liberman; Hugues Widmer; Jean-Baptiste Lattouf; Abdullah M Alenizi; Malek Meskawi; Roger Valdivieso; Pierre-Alain Hueber; Pierre I Karakewicz; Assaad El-Hakim; Kevin C Zorn Journal: Can Urol Assoc J Date: 2017-05-09 Impact factor: 1.862
Authors: Emily A Slopnick; Andrey Petrikovets; David Sheyn; Simon P Kim; Carvell T Nguyen; Adonis K Hijaz Journal: Int Urogynecol J Date: 2018-10-03 Impact factor: 2.894
Authors: Hendrik Borgmann; Sarah Helbig; Michael A Reiter; Tanja Hüsch; David Schilling; Igor Tsaur; Axel Haferkamp Journal: Patient Saf Surg Date: 2015-11-10