The Operation To Remove The Cataract Will Be Performed By A Robot

The operation to remove the cataract will be performed by a robot

Cataract surgery is one of the most common in the world.

Photo: Cambridge Consultant /

Cataract surgery is one of the most common in the world. About 20 million such operations are performed annually. Surgeons remove the clouded lens, replacing it with an artificial one - this helps restore vision. Complications during the operation develop quite rarely, but they do occur - a large part of them are associated with erroneous actions of microsurgeons performing manipulations.

Experts from Cambridge Consultants have created the Axsis robot surgeon, which is capable of performing cataract surgeries. His movements will be more precise than the movements of surgeons, which will help to minimize the development of complications.

The Axsis robot is equipped with two "arms", which are capable of performing all the movements necessary for the operation in a confined space, the radius of which does not exceed 10 mm. The robot is controlled by two joysticks, and the doctor sees the operating field in front of him on the screen.

Chris Wagner, one of the creators of the robot, explains that Da Vinci robotic systems are actively used in clinics. However, due to their large size, it is rather difficult to carry out such painstaking operations as cataract surgery. Axsis is free from this drawback. In addition, the developers believe that the new device will be much cheaper than other robotic surgeons.

Not so long ago, another research group reported that the R2D2 robot successfully performed surgery on a patient's retina. Scientists said they plan to carry out more than ten such operations.

The creators of Axsis believe that the new robot will be useful not only in ophthalmology, but also during gastrointestinal operations, for example, when removing polyps.

Source: Robot surgeon can slice eyes finely enough to remove cataracts

See what it can do. A new surgical robot can make the micro-scale movements needed for a particularly delicate procedure: cataract surgery.

NewScientist