Robot-Assisted Free Toe Pulp Transfer: Feasibility Study

Abstract

The current tendency of microsurgery is heading toward supermicrosurgery and microsurgery assisted by robotics. The aim of this work was to study the feasibility of a free hallux hemipulp transfer with a surgical robot in a cadaveric model. We used a human body. The intervention was realized by a Da Vinci SI^® robot (Intuitive Surgical™, Sunnyvale, CA) in two stages: first taking off the medial hallux hemipulp, then transferring the hallux hemipulp to the radial thumb hemipulp. The intervention lasted 1 hour 59 minutes, exclusively with the Da Vinci SI^® robot, without any interruption or outside intervention. Despite the absence of sensory feedback and an intervention 25% longer than in conventional microsurgery, we have demonstrated the feasibility of free hallux hemipulp transfer with a surgical robot. In the future, it is likely that the added benefits of the robot (physiological tremor suppression, user-friendly ergonomics, ultraprecise control of the instruments) will make the robot an indispensable tool for the surgeon.

Keywords

robot - flap - toe transfer

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