When it comes to surgery, there are always risks involved. However, as advancements in medical technology continue, the number of risks has reduced. And now, a major breakthrough could make surgeries safer, more accurate, and more efficient, than ever before.
California-based startup Levita has invented a robot specifically designed to assist surgeons in procedures. But this robot fulfills some very specific purposes that completely change the world of surgery for the better.
The MARS Platform was approved by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) and has since been used in a public hospital in Santiago, Chile, to successfully perform its first surgery outside the US.
How Does this Robot Work?
Through the use of magnets, the MARS platform can be used to move organs out of the way, to provide surgeons with clearer pathways to the areas they need to operate on.
According to surgeon Alberto Rodriguez-Navarro, who is also the founder of Levita, the technology “puts a surgical clamp inside the cavity and uses an external magnet that allows us to reduce the number of cuts to the patient.”
What Are the Benefits of the MARS Platform?
As a result, fewer incisions are required – which means that every surgery in which the robot is used will lead to less pain, fewer scars, and quicker recovery times.
What’s more, is that the MARS platform provides the surgeon with full control of a camera, providing a clearer visualization of what they are operating on. Not to mention the fact that the robot has already proven to help speed up procedures.
And this means that in theory, more procedures can be performed in a smaller amount of time. Navarro believes that the robot could help teams perform double the amount of surgeries.
Based on this breakthrough – it’s clear that robotic surgical assistants are likely to find their way into more hospitals and medical institutions in the near future.