Jef De Smet

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Total Citations

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About

Jef De Smet is a researcher focused on advancing gynecologic surgery through engineering and robotics. His key research areas include laparoscopic sacrocolpopexy—a procedure to repair pelvic organ prolapse—and robotic comanipulation systems for minimally invasive surgery. De Smet’s major contributions involve quantifying surgical forces and improving visualization. In his 2019 study, he used VR simulation to evaluate the potential benefit of autostereoscopy during laparoscopic sacrocolpopexy, demonstrating how enhanced depth perception could aid mesh placement. That same year, he conducted *in vivo* force sensing during vaginal vault manipulation, providing critical data on the forces exerted by surgical tools during mesh fixation—work that has informed safer surgical techniques. More recently, in 2022, De Smet developed accurate pose estimation methods for comanipulation robotic surgery, where a surgeon and robot work together on the same instrument, offering a cost-effective alternative to full telesurgery. Though his citation counts are modest (2–4 per paper), his work represents foundational steps in integrating force feedback and robotic assistance into pelvic floor repair. De Smet’s research bridges the gap between clinical practice and engineering innovation, making him a notable contributor to the future of robotic-assisted gynecologic surgery.