Robotic Microsurgery in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery: A Literature Review

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Surgical robots have innovated the microsurgical field by providing advantages that improve surgical performance. These robots have been adopted by certain specialties more than others. This study discusses the potential advantages of robotics in plastic and reconstructive surgery. METHOD: This study is a literature review of articles investigating "robotic microsurgery in plastic and reconstructive surgery" using the PubMed database and the Cochrane Library. RESULT: A total of nineteen relevant articles were found and 5 articles performed a direct comparison between the robotic and manual approaches. Longer operating times were reported in the robotic groups featuring higher learning curves. Reported advantages to robotic use included higher accuracy, precision and flexibility, elimination of tremor and improvement of ergonomic factors. CONCLUSION: While the results provide an outlook into the outcome of robotic platforms in this field, current research is limited and further studies are required to provide a fundamental analysis.