Robotic-Assisted Surgery With Dr. Nisha Reddy, DO, Virtua Health
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00:00Hi everyone, Marissa here from 93.3 WMMR, The Preston and Steve Show.
00:04And I'm Nicole from 92.5 XTU.
00:07And we are here for another Virtua Stay Well Health Chat.
00:10We are joined by Dr. Nisha Reddy from Virtua Health.
00:14Dr. Reddy, how are you today?
00:16Good, how are you guys? Thanks for having me.
00:21We're always excited for these opportunities.
00:24And we'd love to jump right in.
00:26And I am so intrigued by what it is that you work on.
00:30Robotic surgery.
00:31Can you tell us all about it?
00:34So robotic surgery is actually a lot of fun for me.
00:38For the patient, it's beneficial because there's less recovery time, less postoperative pain.
00:45People can get back to their lives faster.
00:48For the surgeon specifically, it's nice because it basically allows us to do things that we can't normally do.
00:55So from an open standpoint, meaning like a big incision or even laparoscopically, meaning small incisions, just like the robot.
01:03In the surgeon world, we call laparoscopic surgery straight sticks because really you can't get a whole lot of angles.
01:12You're using straight long instruments to perform the surgery.
01:16So the robot is really nice because it allows us to approach things with different angles that you normally can't do with just a laparoscopic instrument.
01:27So I think it's important because you didn't mention the open incision.
01:30And so if you could just explain kind of in the simplest terms, the difference between this and conventional surgery.
01:37Okay.
01:38So with an open incision, it's basically making, you know, a big cut down your belly or, you know, what have you, wherever you're working.
01:45Um, and you're basically, you know, using your hands and, uh, tools to operate directly on the organs with, um, and direct visualization.
01:56Uh, you might have to massage the organs, move them around.
02:01You can, you can, um, with laparoscopic or robotic, essentially you're using a camera and tools, um, that are controlled by your hands, um, with small, uh, incisions.
02:14So there is less pain, um, but compared to like a bigger incision, essentially.
02:20And I know this question is always out there with everybody.
02:23Just to be clear, you are controlling the robot at all times.
02:26Like if the robot is not moving, if you're not moving it.
02:29Exactly.
02:30Yeah.
02:30So, um, at the bedside, I'll have assistants who basically help with, uh, you know, the arms need to be moved or what have you.
02:38Um, and I sit at a console controlling the robot and the instruments and the arms at all times.
02:45So there's always someone at the bedside with the patient.
02:48Um, and then, you know, I'm always in control of the robot.
02:52And if I'm, if my head is not in that console, the robot can't move.
02:56Wow.
02:57So what kind of procedures are you currently doing at Virtua with robotic surgery?
03:01So personally, I'm doing, um, you know, we can do gallbladders.
03:05We can do, uh, stomach surgery, bowel surgery, uh, colon resections.
03:10Um, but my favorite thing to do with this is complex hernia repairs.
03:16Yeah.
03:16Well, and then, so what are the benefits to robotic surgery over, you know, uh, doctors standing there doing the surgery themselves with the team?
03:24Um, so the benefit is really, there's, there's less post-operative pain and that I think is the biggest thing.
03:31Um, people recover quicker, um, and there's also less infection risk because you're using smaller incisions.
03:40That's so interesting.
03:41So what type of training or certifications do surgeons have to have to be able to utilize and operate with robots?
03:49So, um, normally surgeons do, you know, our residency, our training period is five years.
03:56Um, so throughout that time, we have five years of, you know, robotic exposure.
04:00Um, this is, you know, a newer field, I would say.
04:04Um, I was lucky enough to, uh, work with surgeons who were trained with the robot.
04:10Um, in addition, once you, you know, start working in the real world, um, uh, essentially you have a mentor
04:18or someone that you work with, um, if you're not fully comfortable with the robot and you do a certain
04:24amount of cases, they basically proctor you and help you.
04:27Um, and then at a certain point, when you do a certain number of cases, um, you're essentially
04:32allowed to be on your own.
04:33So it's, it's, it's a lengthy process.
04:36Do you practice on dummies first?
04:39We can.
04:39So they have, um, basically virtual reality, uh, you know, I guess, um, training.
04:48A training, um, like a program device program.
04:52Yes.
04:53Um, so we do that.
04:55Um, and then you can also, uh, use it with, you know, dummies or, or tools, things like
05:01that.
05:02Nice.
05:03And then what is out there to keep you up to date?
05:06I mean, I guess a lot of this can be learned virtually.
05:09Um, but we're so intrigued about how this process keeps evolving.
05:14So, um, we go to conferences, uh, every year.
05:18We're expected to, uh, complete a certain amount of continuing medical education.
05:23Um, so that's how surgeons or even, you know, any kind of doctor will stay up to date on
05:26the latest, um, information, research, things like that, techniques.
05:30Um, so there's a lot of conferences that happen every year.
05:34And during those conferences, you can work with someone in an expert in a specific field,
05:38um, to learn new techniques and things, the things of that nature.
05:42So it's, it's really exciting.
05:44I actually just did a complex, um, hernia repair course last summer in Austin, and it
05:50was a lot of fun because I got to work with surgeons who are, you know, excellent and,
05:54um, you know, a little famous in my world, I should say.
05:58Um, so not only are you starstruck, but you're also learning from the best in the country.
06:03Was Christina Yang there?
06:04Um, so obviously the term AI is such a hot term right now.
06:14So what does AI power technology in robotics and surgery, like, what does that look like
06:20in healthcare in the future?
06:22Or is there, I shouldn't be worded, is there a place for AI with robotic surgery technology
06:27in the future in healthcare?
06:28I would say minimally, um, you know, minimal use of AI.
06:33I think the, the crux of everything though, with robotic surgery is, is the surgeon with
06:39the patient.
06:40So that's never going to leave, um, you know, the forefront of this, um, AI may give us advances
06:46in, um, you know, how to, uh, basically approach certain procedures.
06:52Um, what the robot will do is, uh, we can target the anatomy area, um, when, wherever we're
07:00working, um, and that'll kind of give us the best, uh, way to approach things.
07:04But, um, ultimately if I don't want to rely on that, or, you know, I think that, you know,
07:11a certain technique is better than I don't have to rely on that.
07:14So I think it's, it's really unknown at this time.
07:17Um, but, you know, I'm excited to see, you know, what they can come up with as far as
07:23AI goes.
07:24Um, but, you know, the surgeon with the patient, that'll never, never leave the fold.
07:29Of course.
07:30And we know that's all too well about AI.
07:32It's person to person on top of all of it.
07:35Um, and the virtual gets to assist with it, make it easier.
07:39Um, you attend these conferences and you do all of this learning.
07:41What are you most excited about the future?
07:45Um, I'm most excited about, so my favorite type of surgery is hiatal hernia repairs.
07:51Um, essentially it's when a part of your stomach or any kind of abdominal organs go up into your
07:56chest.
07:56And so I'm, I'm excited to learn more about, um, approaching complex, you know, cases like
08:03that.
08:03Um, it makes it so much easier, you know, the way we can manipulate things, um, with the
08:08robot versus doing it open or laparoscopically.
08:10And then also I'm, I love doing complex hernia repairs.
08:14The patient outcomes are great.
08:15Um, they have generally these procedures will keep you in the hospital for a week, maybe
08:23more.
08:24Um, and the pain control is, you know, it's very difficult.
08:28Um, so robotics is great with those kinds of cases too, because it's, you know, less
08:33narcotics that you're using, um, better pain control and people get back to their lives.
08:37So, so much faster.
08:39Yeah.
08:40Science is amazing.
08:40When you think about the fact that before people would be in the hospital a week, two
08:45weeks, and now you can be like home the same day and, you know, as fast as just research
08:52and technology and science moves.
08:55It's amazing what you are developing every kind of minute of every day.
09:01And like, you know, Virtua is on the precipice of that all the time.
09:04And it's so exciting to be a part of that.
09:06So, yes, I agree.
09:07And the fact that we have this incredible Women for Women's History Month too.
09:10Love that.
09:11Women's Surgeon.
09:12Thank you so much.
09:16I appreciate that.
09:17Thank you for joining us.
09:19As we always say, head to Virtua.org for information and take care of yourself.
09:24Yeah.
09:24Thank you so much.
09:26Thanks everyone.
09:27Bye.
09:27Bye.
09:28Bye.