Dr Rebecca Singson was invited to be the speaker at the Institutional Conference at the Main Auditorium of the Quirino Memorial Hospital on March 31, 2016. She spoke on the topic, “Robotic Surgery Philippines: Are we Ready?” before an audience of about 100 interns, clerks , residents and consultants from various medical specialties .

She gave an introduction to how robotic surgery works, it’s applications , and the current trend in utilization abroad .

Robotic Prostatectomy is now considered the gold standard in Radical Prostatectomy (surgical removal of prostate cancer) and nearly 80% of hysterectomy (removal led the uterus) done for Gynecologic cancers are done robotically in the United States. There is also a growing utilization for hysterectomies for benign conditions such as myomas , ovarian cysts as well as for repositioning/repair of the vagina which has prolapsed after removal of the uterus (sacrocolpopexy).

The prerequisites and costs of setting up a Robotic Surgery Program were discussed. And while that remains a dream for many government institutions in the country, they can at least start with the more feasible laparoscopic surgery set up , then level up to Robotic Surgery when the Minimally Invasive Program is actively vibrant .

Overall, the Da Vinci Robot has proven to be an enabling tool to facilitate complex surgeries without reverting to large incisions . In the future , just like the computer and the cellphone , newer, cheaper and less bulky models will become available in the market , which will revolutionize the way we perform surgery and make open surgery, possible just a historical fact .