Reviewer: Carol Scott-Conner, MD, PhD, MBA, MFA (University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics)
Description: This is a slim monograph on robotic surgery with the da Vinci Surgical System. The contributors, including two from Intuitive Surgical (the manufacturer of the system), are experts in the field. After three introductory chapters, the bulk of the book consists of examples of its use in specialties ranging from urology through cardiothoracic surgery. General surgery procedures (esophageal and gastric resection, pelvic dissection for carcinoma of the rectum, and transaxillary thyroidectomy) are included as well. Chapters are illustrated with line art and color photographs.
Purpose: The editor states, "This book summarizes the current developments together with updates." The back cover further states that this is "knowledge that will be valuable to students, residents, and experts who are eager to learn more about advanced medical care including da Vinci as a cross-cutting surgical device, even if it lies outside their specialty field." These are worthy objectives, and the book provides spectacular examples of what is possible (that is, doable) with the da Vinci system in the hands of expert surgeons. It provides some coverage of results. To that extent, the book meets the objectives.
Audience: The book is intended for students, residents, and experts. It will be most valuable to those seeking information about what is possible with robotic systems. It does not provide the level of detail in, nor could it possibly substitute for, a robotic fellowship, and it is unlikely it will be helpful to trainees in that specialized area. The editor and authors are primarily from Japan and Korea. Although the authors of two chapters on robotic systems in general and the da Vinci system in particular are from Intuitive Surgical, the manufacturer of the system, there are no disclosure statements, which is at some variance with U.S. publication practices.
Features: The book provides a general introduction to the field of robotic surgery, including the da Vinci system. The chapters are easy to read, short, and well illustrated, but somewhat lacking in detail. This book will be of interest to someone who wants an update about what can be done with the system. It is unfortunate that it does not explore further the issue of cost-effectiveness, which is of interest in the U.S. It is also a bit concerning that disclosure statements are not included for all authors.
Assessment: There are numerous books on robotic surgery. The best focus on a single field of surgery (such as urology) or a specific aspect (such as simulation or training). Another recent book from the same publisher, Robotics in General Surgery, Kim (Springer, 2014), provides much greater procedural detail. And, at over 500 pages (versus 159 for this book) at only twice the price, it would appear to be the better value. However, this book serves as a brief overview of popular and spectacular applications of this technology for those seeking a window into this rapidly developing field.
From the book reviews:
“This is a slim monograph on robotic surgery with the da Vinci Surgical System. … The book is intended for students, residents, and experts. It will be most valuable to those seeking information about what is possible with robotic systems. … this book serves as a brief overview of popular and spectacular applications of this technology for those seeking a window into this rapidly developing field.” (Carol Scott-Conner, Doody’s Book Reviews, September, 2014)
“As this book could well be the first book focused on robotic surgery for many of its readers, the introductory chapters do a good job of spelling out the fundamentals. The description and illustrations of the equipment and the principles behind their implementation is authoritative and comprehensive and forms most of the ‘general interest’ part of the book. Indeed, most of this would be accessible (and engrossing) to the informed non-medical reader as well.” (Sushil Dawka, Archives of Medical and Biomedical Research, iambr.info, Vol. 1 (3), 2014)
