Advances in surgery
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Advances in surgery · Jan 2002
ReviewThe role of epidural analgesia and anesthesia in surgical outcomes.
Recent clinical evidence suggests that EAA used in combination with general anesthesia has a beneficial effect on surgical outcome compared with general anesthesia and systemic analgesia. Those complications with clear evidence of a reduced incidence in prospective, randomized studies are shown in Table 2. The benefits are greatest in high-risk patients who receive thoracic epidural blockade with local anesthetic agents. Besides reducing the incidence of certain major complications, the adjunctive use of EAA reduces ICU care, hastens recovery, and has cost savings.
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Robotic surgery has indeed arrived. The approved device in the United States, the Intuitive Surgical System's daVinci System, is installed in about 80 hospitals worldwide. That number is rising rapidly. ⋯ Most of them are also convinced that when they can see better and manipulate tissue better, the outcomes for their patients are better. Is robotic surgery right for you? The answer is complex and has a myriad of elements. This author would suggest that a great start in determining the answer would be to try the current systems and keep track of both the literature and the technical evolution regarding these systems as time progresses.