Application of a laser-guided docking system in robot-assisted urologic surgery

Background This work explores the clinical significance of a laser-guided docking system for robot-assisted urologic surgery. Materials and Methods Between July 2013 and June 2014, 40 patients underwent robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy (RALP), and 32 patients underwent robot-assisted laparoscopic partial nephrectomy (RAPN) performed by a single surgeon. In the RALP and RAPN groups, the robot was docked in the traditional way in 20 and 16 cases, respectively. A laser guiding system was used in the other cases. The docking time and the time required to adjust the angles were recorded. Result The docking time was significantly shorter for the laser-guided process performed by inexperienced nurses. The time required to adjust the angles was also lower. There were no significant differences between the processes performed by experienced nurses. Conclusion A laser-guided docking system may simplify and standardize the docking process and shorten the learning curve. Copyright (C) 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.