da Vinci Surgical System /də·vin′chē/ , a proprietary robotic platform for minimally invasive surgery, consisting of a console, a patient-side cart to which a set of up to four electromechanical arms is attached, and a 3-D video display system. Instruments mounted on the robotic arms are introduced into the patient’s body through minute incisions. The system translates the hand motions of the surgeon seated at the console into movements of the instruments inside the patient. The surgeon views the operative field through a 3-D camera attached to one of the arms. Cardiac, urological, gynecological, and colorectal surgeries are commonly performed using this system.
