Usefulness of the BirdView™ in preventing devices from being lost visual field during robotic surgery using the Hugo™ RAS system: a prospective study.

Background: The greatest advantage of robotic surgery is that it enables precise surgery through a magnified three-dimensional (3D) image effect, multi-degree-of-freedom forceps, and a stable surgical field. However, it has disadvantages such as lack of tactile sensation and the existence of blind spots and the possibility of organ damage is higher in comparison to open or laparoscopic surgery. To solve these two major problems, we developed BirdView™, a wide view camera system. This study presents data from a prospective trial to determine whether BirdView™ can reduce the disadvantages of robotic surgery.

Methods: This prospective study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of BirdView™ in improving task performance and reducing the cognitive workload during robotic surgery. Specifically, the study assessed task recovery time following simulated instrument displacement.

Results: BirdView™ significantly improved the time required to recover from instrument displacement. The median recovery time with and without BirdView™ was 7.15 s (range: 2.97-18.30 s) and 10.30 s (range: 3.16-23.48 s), respectively, which amounted to a statistically significant difference (p < 0.001).

Conclusion: In this experiment, we compared whether it was possible to place a forceps in a blind spot and then safely bring the forceps into the field of view with and without using BirdView™. It was confirmed that the use of BirdView™ allowed for a quicker operation and reduced stress for the surgeon. It was also shown to be useful for all surgeons, regardless of skill level. At present, there are concerns that the Hugo™ RAS system may be more difficult to recover when the forceps are lost than in other models, but this may be completely overcome by using BirdView™. We believe that BirdView™ will be useful for establishing safer robotic surgery and creating an environment in which robot surgery can be safely performed.