Residents make the cut to view robotic surgery
Shot by Jiang Xiaowei. Edited by Jiang Xiaowei. Reported by Cai Wenjun. Subtitles by Cai Wenjun.
Local residents, patients and their relatives visit Shanghai Chest Hospital.
Robot-assisted surgery is becoming more and more popular in modern medical practice.
Now the public have been able to see how medics operate the system, and even use simulators.
During National Cancer Prevention and Control Week, the Shanghai Chest Hospital invited some residents, patients and their relatives into a stimulated operating room to learn about surgical robots.
"I have heard about surgical robots many times and thought it is the robot that did the surgery," said a resident. "Now I know it is the doctor who controls the robotic arms to fulfill high-end operation. It requires excellent skills and experience. It is so difficult to control them."
Dr Li Zhigang, vice director of the hospital's thoracic surgery department and an expert on esophageal surgery, said the esophagus is a small and narrow organ. Therefore robotic arms, which are more flexible and delicate than human hands, are best for minimally invasive surgery.
Delicate stitching is performed.
Shanghai Chest Hospital is now the world's largest robot-assisted esophageal cancer surgical center, conducting more than 1,700 esophageal cancer surgeries each year.
"Apart from robot-assisted surgery, we are also one of the biggest complicated esophageal cancer surgery centers in the world,"Li said.
Due to lifestyle and diet changes and certain diseases, esophageal cancer is rising both in China and the West.
"We hope to use our skills to serve more domestic and overseas patients, especially overseas Chinese patients," Li said.
"Because esophageal cancer is quite different between ethic Chinese and Westerners, as Chinese usually suffer from esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, while Westerners have esophageal adenocarcinoma. The treatment and solutions for the two types of cancers are different.
"We have streamlined the process and service for international medical tourism and hope to attract more overseas patients,"Li said.
