Robotic Surgery in Africa: History, Contemporary, and Thereafter
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Since its introduction in the late 1980s, robotic surgery has become a less invasive procedure, offering advantages such as increased dexterity, mobility, 3D visualization, and reduced fatigue for surgeons. Although the procedure is still not widely used in Africa, it is fast growing and can potentially minimize surgical inequities in low- and middle-income nations. This narrative review aims to explore the advantages of robotic surgery, its history in Africa, the current level of application of this surgical technique in the continent, the limitations, and how the healthcare system in the region stands to benefit from its use in the future.
METHODOLOGY: In this narrative review, extensive literature research was conducted using the Google search engine and databases: 'Google Scholar', 'Cochrane Library', 'PubMed', 'ScienceDirect', and African Journals Online (AJOL), spanning 6 months. The search phrases used included: robotic surgery, robotic surgery in Africa, history of robotic surgery in Africa, robotic surgery in low- and middle-income countries, potential advantages of robotic surgery, robotic surgery limitations, benefits of robotic surgery, demerits of robotic surgery, artificial Intelligence in surgical care, and the future of robotic surgery.A total of 405 articles were found. An advanced search that limited the search to titles revealed only 20 results. Two discussed the possibility of embracing robotic surgery in low- and middle-income countries, one…
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