A Makati Medical Center Colorectal Surgery specialist highlighted that robotic surgery is a mere tool doctors use to “just assist” in surgical procedures.
"Ang main purpose ng robot which is tinatawag naming robotic arm, kung paano ang galaw ng isang surgeon, ganun din ang galaw ng robot sa loob (The main purpose of the robot, which we call the robotic arm, is to mimic the movements of a surgeon)," Makati Medical Center Colorectal Surgery Specialist Mark Augustine Onglao said on Thursday, April 18, during the interview with TeleRadyo Serbisyo.
He clarified that the surgeon maintains complete control over the robotic arm, ensuring optimal precision during procedures.
One of the key benefits of robotic surgery highlighted by Onglao is its promotion of “minimally invasive” procedures, characterized by smaller incisions.
"Dahil maliit ang hiwa, hindi ito masakit sa pasyente, mabilis ang recovery, mabilis makakauwi at makakabalik sa trabaho (Because the incisions are small, it is not painful for the patient, recovery is quick, and they can return to work sooner)," he noted.
Onglao acknowledged the challenges posed by traditional laparoscopy in performing minimally invasive surgeries, particularly in accessing deep-seated organs like the prostate, uterus, or rectum.
"By this, makikita natin ang advantage ng robot kasi ‘pag ininsert natin sila, parang kamay na mismo ng surgeon ang nasa loob ng pasyente (By this, we can see the advantage of the robot because when we insert them, it's like the surgeon's hand itself is inside the patient)," he said.
Onglao stressed that the robot can easily execute complex operations, which are challenging to perform with small incisions alone.
Moreover, the specialist noted that robotic surgery offers advantages over laparoscopic methods, including reduced patient trauma.
"Kapag tinignan natin ang studies comparing robotics vs. laparascopic, less ang trauma sa pasyente sa tulong ng robot (When we look at studies comparing robotics vs. laparoscopic, there is less trauma to the patient with the help of the robot)," he said.
Onglao emphasized that as a result, there are fewer complications, reduced bleeding, and lower infection rates due to the less invasive nature of the operation.
"Actually matagal na pong naipalaganap ang robotic surgery. It's been with us since the early 2000s (Actually, robotic surgery has been widely used for a long time. It's been with us since the early 2000s)," he disclosed.
"Pero syempre 'yung ‘pag pick-up nito, especially in the Philippines ay medyo ngayon lang dumarami 'yung ospital na nakakapag offer nitong robotic surgery sa mga Filipino (But of course, its adoption, especially in the Philippines, has only recently increased, with more hospitals now offering robotic surgery to Filipinos)," Onglao added.