[ExI] In Italy, Da Vinci robot removes kidney tumor from awake patient

[BillK]

After defeating a malignant tumor years earlier by removing a lung,
the patient lived with an ever-expanding kidney tumor, which could not
be removed due to severe respiratory problems.
The mass had reached five centimeters and had gained depth, so surgery
was essential to prevent the spread of the tumor. Doctors immediately
rejected the laparoscopy, which would have involved the risk of
triggering a further expansion of the mass, as well as traditional
surgery, which could have caused serious complications.
The solution immediately seemed to be only one: robotic surgery made
through the innovative Da Vinci Robot.

<https://tech2.org/italy/ia-da-vinci-robot-removes-kidney-tumor-from-awake-patient/>

Although it is a robot, the surgery is not performed autonomously by a
computer: in fact, the expert hand of a surgeon always operates this
technology. The hope is that in the future Artificial Intelligence
will be able to operate with full autonomy in this area as well,
accelerating the pace of progress and laying the foundations for a
true revolution.
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Da Vinci surgical robots are also in use in the UK. The keyhole surgery
technique leads to exceptionally quick recovery times from serious
operations. They do need a skilled surgeon to operate them though.

BillK