Pelvic floor surgery, transition to Robotics (1476)
Despite the fact that the Robot was introduced into Australia over 10 years ago there has been a very slow uptake by gynaecologists compared to urologists. The uptake has been even slower for benign gynaecology. This was the identical picture in the early 1990s when Laparoscopic Hysterectomy was introduced with Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy. There was a reluctance from gynaecologists to change and embrace this new technology. As it was with the laparoscopic revolution, pelvic floor repair and incontinence surgery was the last thing to be adopted. A recent survey of Robotic Pelvic Floor surgery in Australia has shown that only 113 Robotic Sacrocolpopexies have been done to date and most of these by just 2 surgeons. There have been a handful of Colposuspensions and uterine suspensions only. Why is this? The reasons for this involve a complex interplay of training requirements, Hospitals, Health Fund reimbursements and of course access to these robots which has been very restricted by cost considerations. Just as in the early Laparoscopic Hysterectomy days there has as yet been no demonstrated advantage for this costly advancement at this time. Perhaps with time this will be shown to have major advantages as it did with Laparoscopic surgery. I will present a review of the current literature in relation to outcomes, cost effectiveness and training and share my early experience with these techniques including Robotic Burch and Robotic Hysterectomy and Sacrocolpexy with a video presentation. I will conclude by looking at the future of Robotics and pelvic floor surgery by looking at overseas trends. Laparoscopic surgery in pelvic floor reconstruction is now mainstream and open sacrocolpexy has largely been relegated to history. Will it be the same with Robotic pelvic floor repair?