In one of the blocks of the Gustave-Roussy Institute, this Tuesday, May 27, afternoon, the posture of the surgeon at work disconcerts. In socks on the pedals of a console so as not to slide, eyes on the glasses and hands moving on controllers, he operates Jean-Claude, 75, suffering from carcinoma (cancer) at the base of the tongue. But not with any instrument. With the DA Vinci SP, a state -of -the -art surgical robot arrived in January.
In a unique hose of a few centimeters of diameters pass a camera and three arms equipped with scissors or miniature pliers as needed. And this tube can then slip into narrow or difficult to access areas to chase a tumor there. Where manual operations would have required much more invasive gestures.
