Plenary talks

Laparoscopic surgery gained popularity in recent years due to its´ minimally invasiveness. However, laparoscopic surgery has disadvantages such as limitation in vision and maneuverability, which brought the invention of surgical robot system. With these backgrounds, robotic surgery was introduced as one of the procedures of minimally invasive treatment for various fields. Robot surgical system has merits over laparoscopic surgery in that it provides 3D visualization, endowrist with 7 degrees of freedom and stable camera function. Currently robotic surgery system is used for general surgery, urology, gynecology, cardiothoracic surgery, and head and neck surgery. Nowadays, applications of robotic surgery are unlimited. In many fields, however, robotic surgery is in its infancy. Almost all reports dealt the robotic surgery are regarding technical feasibility and safety. And its early postoperative outcomes are comparable to those of conventional open or minimally invasive procedures. In addition, robot surgical system has demerits in aspect of high cost and not yet defined long term postoperative results in most area. The lack of merits to overcome the high cost is also a problem that has to be solved. However, robotic surgery has made great impact in certain surgical field. In prostatectomy, it makes possible to perform a safe oncological surgery even for the surgeons without experience of laparoscopic surgery. Although, it is too soon to conclude a role of robotic cancer surgery due to lack of long-term follow-up results, there are some promising aspects of robotic oncological surgery. Furthermore, robotic systems make it possible to interface and integrate many of new technologies which provide another tool to surgeons to overcome the disadvantages of minimally invasive surgery, such as image guidance and use of virtual reality. Therefore, the merits of robot surgical system as a tool of minimally invasive surgery over conventional laparoscopic surgery make expand- d use of surgical robot. In conclusion, robotic surgery has proven to be of great value, especially in areas like prostatic and cardiac procedures. It still remains to be developed, however, in many areas including surgical instruments, energy sources, and vision systems. At any rate, robotic surgery is set to revolutionize surgery by improving surgical technology. Although there have been many studies on technical feasibility, there should be more randomized prospective trials evaluating not only efficacy and safety but also cost effectiveness and long-term outcomes.