The robot does not replace human surgeons; it is a much larger, more accurate tool for their use. The robotic arms and computer-precise movements make it easier to locate tiny blood vessels and nerves. Patient recovery times are shorter as well.
TYKS's new robot will be shared by the surgical clinic and the women's clinic. In the future it will be made available to other departments as well. For the moment, the hospital management intends to use the robot especially in operations to remove gynaecological and prostate tumours.
"We've had six weeks of practice, during which the doctors became familiar with the movement of the robotic arms," says TYKS specialist physician Esa Kähkönen. "We're getting a really good feel for it. It will make surgeries go much faster. It's a magnificently fine machine and user-friendly."
TYKS's goal is to use the robot in around 400 procedures a year. Robot-assisted surgeries cost 5,500 euros, while unassisted machines cost 3,700 euros. Still, the hospital says the cost is well worth it, because it will significantly help reduce the queues for surgeries.
Robot-assisted surgeries were piloted in Helsinki and Tampere two years ago. A couple thousand of the machines are in use across the globe.