Robot-assisted free toe pulp transfer: feasibility study.
The current tendency of microsurgery is heading toward supermicrosurgery and microsurgery assisted by robotics. The aim of this work was to study the feasibility of a free hallux hemipulp transfer with a surgical robot in a cadaveric model. We used a human body. The intervention was realized by a Da Vinci SI® robot (Intuitive Surgical™, Sunnyvale, CA) in two stages: first taking off the medial hallux hemipulp, then transferring the hallux hemipulp to the radial thumb hemipulp. The intervention lasted 1 hour 59 minutes, exclusively with the Da Vinci SI® robot, without any interruption or outside intervention. Despite the absence of sensory feedback and an intervention 25% longer than in conventional microsurgery, we have demonstrated the feasibility of free hallux hemipulp transfer with a surgical robot. In the future, it is likely that the added benefits of the robot (physiological tremor suppression, user-friendly ergonomics, ultraprecise control of the instruments) will make the robot an indispensable tool for the surgeon.
Department of Hand Surgery, Strasbourg University Hospitals, Strasbourg, France.
Nicolas
N
Maire
Kiyohito
K
Naito
Thierry
T
Lequint
Sybille
S
Facca
Stacey
S
Berner
Philippe
P
Liverneaux
D002102:Cadaver; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D058752:Free Tissue Flaps; D006214:Hallux / Q000601:surgery*; D006230:Hand Injuries / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008866:Microsurgery; D012371:Robotics; D013933:Thumb / Q000293:injuries* / Q000601:surgery