Abstract
Purpose:
Over the past few years, the use of robots has revolutionized digestive, urologic, and gynaecologic surgery practices. The Da Vinci© robot, a benchmark device, has not yet been used in human ophthalmologic surgery as a result of (i) the lack of fully dedicated micro-surgical instruments and (ii) a slightly lower visibility of the surgical field compared to recent microscopes. The launch of the Da Vinci Si HD© (3D high resolution) may well solve those issues and may offer, during micro-surgical procedures on the anterior segment, better ergonomics, an increased freedom of motion, and fewer undesired tremors.
Methods:
At first, we ran a trial of prospective feasibility on animal eyes. Indeed, we performed lacerations on conjunctiva, lacerations on cornea, transplants of amniotic membrane, trabeculectomies and penetrating keratoplasty.
Results:
Our main goal was achieved: the use of the Da Vinci Si HD© device allowed us to perform the various steps of eye surface surgery procedures analysed with better ergonomics, an increased freedom of motion, and fewer undesired tremors. Together these arguments allow us to foresee a therapeutic use of the robot in human ophthalmology through a prospective feasibility in surgery of eye surface. Three types of procedures will be performed: surgical procedures of amniotic membranes’ transplants, surgical procedures of pterygium, penetrating keratoplasty. Surgical durations will be strictly identical to those of non-robotized techniques. Secondary objectives of this trial: assessing the surgical duration, the preciseness and the security of gestures, the surgical comfort, the potential per-and-post surgical complications.
Conclusions:
The originality of this trial lies in the innovative approach of this surgical technique. To our best knowledge, no human robotized ophthalmic surgery has been described to this day. The launch of the Da Vinci Si HD© device may broaden our armamentarium, reduce complication rates, and maintain our promise to surgically cure numerous eye pathologies.
Keywords: 421 anterior segment •
579 learning •
479 cornea: clinical science