Application of fluorescence in robotic general surgery: review of the literature and state of the art.

The initial use of the indocyanine green fluorescence imaging system was for sentinel lymph node biopsy in patients with breast or colorectal cancer. Since then, application of this method has received wide acceptance in various fields of surgical oncology, and it has become a valid diagnostic tool for guiding cancer treatment. It has also been employed in numerous conventional surgical procedures with much success and benefit to the patient.

A Single Centre Retrospective Evaluation of Laparoscopic Rectal Resection with TME for Rectal Cancer: 5-Year Cancer-Specific Survival.

Laparoscopic colon resection has established its role as a minimally invasive approach to colorectal diseases. Better long-term survival rate is suggested to be achievable with this approach in colon cancer patients, whereas some doubts were raised about its safety in rectal cancer. Here we report on our single centre experience of rectal laparoscopic resections for cancer focusing on short- and long-term oncological outcomes.

Thoracoscopic and Laparoscopic Esophagectomy in a Case of Spontaneous Rupture of the Esophagus (Boerhaave's Syndrome).

Spontaneous barogenic rupture of the esophagus is a rare disease with high morbidity and mortality. Many therapeutic options are available. Esophagectomy is indicated when a large rupture is found with huge mediastinal contamination.

Robotic laparoscopic surgery with the da Vinci® system: an early experience.

Theoretically, robotic surgery is likely to overcome the intrinsic limitations of laparoscopic surgery, such as a view not under the direct surgeon's control, two-dimensional imaging, and limited motion of instruments. In this chapter, the preliminary experience with a robotic laparoscopic surgery system in the Surgical Department of the Alessandria Hospital, Italy, is reported. From November 2005 to August 2007, a total of 162 laparoscopic robotic operations were performed, in which robotic surgery was found to be feasible and safe.

Robotic colorectal surgery: first 50 cases experience.

Purpose: Laparoscopic colorectal surgery is believed to be technically and oncologically feasible. However, some limitation of traditional laparoscopic surgery may cause difficulties. Robotic-assisted surgery may overcome these pitfalls.