It seems like robotic surgery is here to stay. In a study published in the Journal of Minimally Invasive Gynaecology, it was concluded that patients who underwent robotic assisted hysterectomy were less likely to need to be readmitted to hospital than those who underwent open surgical procedures. These patients also had less blood loss during surgery and were able to be discharged from hospital sooner than those who had open surgery (Martino et al., 2013). In South Africa we are more familiar with the use of robotic surgery in urological procedures.
Robotic surgery is performed using delicate, complex medical devices that need accurate and precise cleaning. These instruments are known as EndoWrists®. One way to achieve precise cleaning is to use an ultrasonic cleaner. Not all ultrasonic cleaners have the capacity to clean devices used in robotic surgery properly. For this reason it is always best to follow manufacturer’s instructions for cleaning. These instructions will describe a validated cleaning process. Manufacturer’s also stipulate what equipment and accessories can be used to achieve the validated cleaning process.
MARTINO, M. A., BERGER, E. A., MCFETRIDGE, J. T., SHUBELLA, J., GOSCINIAK, G., WEJKSZNER, T., KAINZ, G. F., PATRIARCO, J., THOMAS, M. B. & BOULAY, R. 2013. A Comparison of Quality Outcome Measures in Patients Having a Hysterectomy for Benign Disease: Robotic vs. Non-robotic Approaches. Journal of minimally invasive gynecology.