Urologic Robotic Surgery in Clinical Practice

Robotics is one of the hottest topics in medicine today, with an international interest that is exponentially growing. The introduction of robotic technology into modern operating theatres has provoked a revolutionary change in the basic surgical approach, with many advantages over traditional open surgical treatment, including faster recovery and a significantly lower risk of surgical trauma. While the benefits of minimally invasive surgery are apparent, the expansion of laparoscopic surgery throughout the field has been relatively slow due to the steep learning curve and the level of practice and specialism required to perform such procedures. Although revolutionary upon conception, standard laparoscopy involves the surgeon working from monitors with no depth perception and also with a surgical motion that is counter-intuitive. The introduction of robotic technology however, has surpassed the traditional laparoscopic approach by providing full three dimensional vision, intuitive motion and wristed instrumentation with motion scaling. These dramatic innovations have broadened the scope of surgeons that can now perform complex laparoscopy, and while still in its infancy, robotic assisted surgery has begun to infiltrate all fields of surgery. However, while the practical adoption of the techniques and procedures has increased over the last 5 years, the educational resources have not, leaving the only available learning tools as videos, case observation and proctorships. There is therefore a severe market void for such a publication as this, with steadily growing sales around the world of robotic surgical systems. A compact book, overseen by such a respected figure and featuring contributions from the field leaders, is sure to be very successful within the next few years.