Adding photoacoustic imaging to some robotic surgery procedures may reduce the number of injuries that inadvertently occur, according to a recent study in the Journal of Medical Imaging.
The research specifically looked at hysterectomies and potential damage to the ureter during the procedure. About 600,000 of hysterectomies are performed each year in the United States. The surgeries are increasingly being performed with robotic assistance, especially the da Vinci teleoperated surgical robot—it provides increased dexterity, reduced hospital stays, 3-D stereoscopic visualization, less blood loss and a shorter recovery period.
