A distal pancreatectomy is the standard procedure for patients presenting pancreatic cancer localized to the tail of the pancreas, followed by radiation therapy and/or chemotherapy to reduce the risk of recurrence. The new technology allows for minimally invasive surgical techniques in these cases, which benefit patients in many ways, including a shorter hospital stay, faster recovery, quicker return to daily activity, less risk of infection and less scarring and bleeding. The ViKY system improves laparoscopic procedures due to its unique features, like an endoscope that moves according to the surgeon’s orders, either through voice recognition or foot-switch control.

After being tested on thousands of patients in Europe, the technology was used in the US at Fox Chase, which, according to its chairman of the department of surgery, Robert G. Uzzo, MD, “is among only a handful of institutions worldwide using robotics or laparoscopy to treat patients with nearly all types of cancer” in an operation on a 65-year-old man who was diagnosed with two pancreatic cysts. The ViKY assisted minimally invasive distal pancreatectomy was performed by Fox Chase surgeon Andrew A. Gumbs, MD, a specialist in minimally invasive hepato-pancreatic and biliary (HPB) surgery, which described the system as being “so versatile that surgeons (…) are able to use it for many different laparoscopic procedures, including those in the gastrointestinal, urological, thoracic and gynecologic regions.” He also stated that:
“The new ViKY robotic laparoscope holder acts as an extra hand during surgery, giving me stability and steadiness. The view of the surgical field is critical, so ViKY’s pinpoint accuracy helps me perform more complex procedures laparoscopically.”

Image Above: “The new ViKY robotic laparoscope holder acts as an extra hand during surgery, giving me stability and steadiness,” said Dr. Gumbs