he reviewed showed that biologic mesh is twice as expensive as syn-
thetic: $17,000 vs. $8,000.
"Biologic meshes are enormously expensive and the recurrence rate
is way too high," says Mark Reiner, MD, a general surgeon at Mount
Sinai Hospital in New York, N.Y.
Biologic mesh has long been marketed as a material that addresses
8 1
D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 5 | O U T P A T I E N TS U R G E R Y. N E T
Straight-stick laparoscopic inguinal hernia
repair is a technically complex and chal-
lenging procedure. Could the surgical
robot simplify the procedure?
Without a doubt, says Mark Reiner,
MD, a general surgeon at Mount Sinai
Hospital, who last month at the
Midtown Surgery Center in New York
City performed the first-ever total extra-
peritoneal hernia procedure using a
robot.
Dr. Reiner says the 3 operating arms of the robot allowed for 360° rotation, versus the
180° of the human wrist. The movements of the robot were also more stable, removing
the tremor that exists with human hands. The robot's 3-D optics provided Dr. Reiner with
high-quality images in real time. This increased visibility let Dr. Reiner reduce the risk of
inadvertent injury to nerves, blood vessels and other vital organs.
"The robot makes it easy to sew and manipulate the instruments inside the abdominal
cavity," says Dr. Reiner. Suturing the mesh in rather than tacking it in with staples lessens
the patient's pain and discomfort, he adds.
He says the surgeon can control all 4 of the robot's arms: 3 operating arms — 1 to
retract and the other 2 to operate — and 1 camera arm. "It's easier than having an assis-
tant," he says. — Dan O'Connor
GROUNDBREAKING
Robotic Hernia Repair
z ROBOTIC HERNIAS Mark Reiner, MD, believes
robotics will be the future of hernia surgery.
Midtown
Surgery
Center
