Anesthesia for robot-assisted surgery: a review

Abstract

Robotic surgery has become increasingly popular over the last 30 years. This technique is particularly attractive due to its minimally invasive nature, high precision compared to open and laparoscopic techniques, less postoperative pain, shorter hospital stay for patients, and faster recovery. For an anesthesiologist, robot-assisted operations involve numerous challenges resulting from the surgical technique. The most important problems during anesthesia include changes in physiology resulting from the development of pneumoperitoneum and a steep Trendelenburg position. This review discusses problems that may be encountered by an anesthesiologist performing anesthesia during robotic surgery.