{"id":450560,"date":"2023-06-27T09:35:22","date_gmt":"2023-06-27T07:35:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/innovationorigins.com\/?p=450560"},"modified":"2023-06-27T09:35:22","modified_gmt":"2023-06-27T07:35:22","slug":"robo-miracle-worlds-first-baby-born-following-completely-robot-assisted-uterus-transplant","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/en\/robo-miracle-worlds-first-baby-born-following-completely-robot-assisted-uterus-transplant\/","title":{"rendered":"Robo-miracle: world\u2019s first baby born following completely robot-assisted uterus transplant"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>On May 25, the world welcomed a special baby boy. Measuring 49 centimeters and weighing slightly more than three kilograms, he was the first infant born worldwide following a uterus transplantation performed through a robot-assisted surgery on both donor and recipient. The breakthrough was made possible thanks to years of research by the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gu.se\/en\">University of Gothenburg<\/a> (GU), Sweden.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"io-block io-block__summary\"><ul><li>The University of Gothenburg is at the forefront of the research on robot-assisted uterus transplants; <\/li><li>Operating with robots is less invasive and causes less post-operative discomfort to patients; <\/li><li>Augmented Reality, bioengineering, and AI might be the next technologies to enter operating theaters; <\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Conceiving, carrying, and giving birth is one of the deepest desires for couples, but for women that don\u2019t have a functioning uterus \u2013 either because their womb can\u2019t bear pregnancy or because they don\u2019t have one \u2013 having a child is nearly out of reach. Following the introduction of in-vitro fertilization in the late 70s, science has paved the way for giving every woman the right to be a mother. Robots are helping doctors ease transplantations.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The birth of a baby from a fully robot-assisted transplant is the last of many accomplishments by the University of Gothenburg research team. Since 1999, it has been investigating uterine transplants. In 2012, the first transplant happened, followed by the first birth in 2014. The doctors started with robot-assisted keyhole surgery three years later, which led to the first births in 2021.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Dr. Niclas Kvarnstr\u00f6m and Dr. Mats Br\u00e4nnstr\u00f6m, respectively, a transplant surgeon at the Sahlgrenska University Hospital \u2013 GU\u2019s medical center \u2013 and professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Sahlgrenska Academy, told Innovation Origins more about their research. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How does a robotic-assisted intervention work?&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Robot surgery allows for less invasive interventions than conventional open surgery. This technology inserts cameras and robotic arms having surgical instruments through small holes in the lower belly. From the operating station, they can get high-quality pictures of the body area they are working on. Through joystick-like controllers, doctors can move surgical tools with high precision. \u201cYou don\u2019t make any mistakes, as you can see exactly where the needle is coming in and out,\u201c says Kvarnstr\u00f6m.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Hand movements are scaled-down when using the joysticks. \u201cMaking wide movements results in actually small actions in the operating field. That\u2019s how you can be very precise,\u2018\u2019 adds Kvarnstr\u00f6m. Minimizing interventions, in turn, gives patients less post-operatory discomfort.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/archive.ioplus.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/4-Kirurg-med-styrverktyg-1004x669.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-450595\" width=\"729\" height=\"485\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A doctor uses joystick-like controllers to perform robotic surgery. &#8211; \u00a9 University of Gothenburg<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Reducing drug intake<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In further reducing post-intervention pain, robotic surgeries reduce the risk of adhesion formations. An adhesion is the body\u2019s repair mechanism response to tissue disturbance \u2013 such as trauma, surgery, or infection \u2013 that, in the form of a band of scar tissue, attaches two parts of tissue that usually are not joined together.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHaving fewer of them helps when the baby is delivered. In addition, the uterus graft is removed after bearing one or two pregnancies,\u201d explains Kvarnstr\u00f6m. Following the transplant, receivers are subministrated drugs to prevent reactions from the body. As with every other medicine, these come with side effects, and long-term use can be dangerous.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"vlp-link-container vlp-layout-basic wp-block-visual-link-preview-link advgb-dyn-d8e1a778\"><a href=\"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/en\/musa-is-the-best-microsurgical-robot-in-the-world\/\" class=\"vlp-link\" title=\"MUSA is the best microsurgical robot in the world\"><\/a><div class=\"vlp-layout-zone-side\"><div class=\"vlp-block-2 vlp-link-image\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"vlp-layout-zone-main\"><div class=\"vlp-block-0 vlp-link-title\">MUSA is the best microsurgical robot in the world<\/div><div class=\"vlp-block-1 vlp-link-summary\">Microsure, based in the Dutch city of Eindhoven, develops robotic platforms for microsurgical operations. The company has been around for six years now and has since grown into a mature business.<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Touch<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If there\u2019s one thing that robots can\u2019t replicate (yet) as opposed to laparotomy \u2013 the surgical procedure of opening the abdominal cavity to expose organs \u2013 it is feeling tissues. Laparotomy was the technique used in the first non-robotic transplants. \u201cThe great advantage of laparotomy is \u2018having the hands in the field,\u2019 which is feeling the tissues and the structures, whereas, with robotics, it\u2019s a mere visual process,\u201d says Br\u00e4nnstr\u00f6m.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, he\u2019s confident that as more manufacturers emerge, next-gen robots will have the sensitivity, too. For instance, embedding sensors on the operating instruments to provide feedback on applied pressure might be a way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-id=\"450596\" src=\"https:\/\/archive.ioplus.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Niclas-Kvarnstrom-1004x680.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-450596\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-id=\"450597\" src=\"https:\/\/archive.ioplus.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Mats-Brannstrom-1004x694.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-450597\"\/><\/figure>\n<figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-caption wp-element-caption\">On the left is Dr. Kvarnstr\u00f6m, and on the right is Dr. Br\u00e4nnstr\u00f6m. &#8211; \u00a9 University of Gothenburg<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Robots to disrupt healthcare&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Nevertheless, robots are changing the profession in many ways. In addition to diminishing post-operatory patient discomfort, it\u2019s easier to train the next generation of surgeons to perform procedures. As less pain is created for patients, discharging times are reduced, too, thus curtailing hospitalization costs.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Robots still come at a high price tag, so they can\u2019t be everywhere. Investing in them \u2013 the standard da Vinci surgical robot comes at $2 million \u2013 might have more significant effects. \u201cIt may be cost-effective for  hospitals and the whole society, too. It\u2019s a big difference if a woman takes a one-week or six-week sick leave. In calculating the costs involved in a transplant, we discovered that sick leave-related ones are 35 percent of them,\u201d explains Br\u00e4nnstr\u00f6m.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Perfecting the method<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>After achieving another milestone, the Sahlgrenska University Hospital will keep investigating the matter. \u201cThe next step is learning when to apply this procedure and when not to. In our case, we want to have it in our portfolio of the procedures we can offer, but at the moment, we still need to explore and figure out in what cases it works best,\u201d underlines Kvarnstr\u00f6m.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Operating times remain a constraint, though. Taking the uterus from the donor through the robot procedure can take up to ten hours, adding to the eight hours needed to transplant the graft. \u201cNiclas [Dr. Kvarnstr\u00f6m] is possibly sitting using the robot for up to 15 hours, an unbearable span of time if standing up,\u201d emphasizes Br\u00e4nnstr\u00f6m. Nonetheless, both doctors believe that operating times can be reduced with practice.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"vlp-link-container vlp-layout-basic wp-block-visual-link-preview-link advgb-dyn-6e0640f4\"><a href=\"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/en\/selected\/an-implant-to-help-women-giving-birth\/\" class=\"vlp-link\" title=\"An implant to help women give birth\"><\/a><div class=\"vlp-layout-zone-side\"><div class=\"vlp-block-2 vlp-link-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" style=\"max-width: 150px;\" width=\"150\" height=\"74\" src=\"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Ih9DQMSI-IUMD-2-1.png\" class=\"attachment-150x999 size-150x999\" alt=\"The device\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Ih9DQMSI-IUMD-2-1.png 676w, https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Ih9DQMSI-IUMD-2-1-300x148.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/div><\/div><div class=\"vlp-layout-zone-main\"><div class=\"vlp-block-0 vlp-link-title\">An implant to help women give birth<\/div><div class=\"vlp-block-1 vlp-link-summary\">Doctors and researchers at the University of Southampton are trialling a novel implant device they have developed that may be offered to women who have problems conceiving or who have recurrent miscarriages.<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What technology will enter the operating theater next?&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>As the GU stays at the forefront of research and technology adoption, other innovations have the potential to reach operating theaters soon. Kvarnstr\u00f6m suggests that augmented reality (AR) can impact the future of surgery, as it would allow displaying relevant information during the procedure.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Br\u00e4nnstr\u00f6m goes even further. \u201cThe next big thing will be uterus bioengineering.\u201d This discipline applies engineering concepts to biological systems to design bacteria, organs, or tissues. Bacteria engineered to produce specific chemicals are an example. One of the advantages is the possibility of creating organs ad hoc for each patient. \u201cUteruses would be created in the lab using stem cells without needing to take them from humans. It will still take time, as it\u2019s still being experimented on rats and rabbits,\u201d he says.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Eventually, AI will also reach operating theaters as more data will be amassed to train algorithms. The future is bright, as technology can help satisfy one of the most profound human desires: being a mother and father.&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>On May 25, the world welcomed a special baby boy. Measuring 49 centimeters and weighing slightly more than three kilograms, he was the first infant born worldwide following a uterus transplantation performed through a robot-assisted surgery on both donor and recipient. The breakthrough was made possible thanks to years of research by the University of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2084,"featured_media":493898,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"advgb_blocks_editor_width":"","advgb_blocks_columns_visual_guide":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[34665],"tags":[50965,79080,79082],"location":[54353],"article_type":[43139],"serie":[],"archives":[],"internal_archives":[],"reboot-archive":[],"class_list":["post-450560","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health","tag-robotic-surgery","tag-university-of-gotenburg","tag-uterus-transplantation","location-sweden","article_type-features"],"blocksy_meta":[],"acf":{"subtitle":"At the University of Goteborg\u2019s hospital, a child has born following a uterus transplantation achieved by robot-assisted surgery on both the donor and recipient.","text_display_homepage":false},"author_meta":{"display_name":"Mauro Mereu","author_link":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/author\/mauro-mereu\/"},"featured_img":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/livmoder-huvudbild.png","coauthors":[],"tax_additional":{"categories":{"linked":["<a href=\"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/en\/category\/health\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Health<\/a>"],"unlinked":["<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Health<\/span>"]},"tags":{"linked":["<a href=\"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/en\/category\/health\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">robotic surgery<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/en\/category\/health\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">University of Gotenburg<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/en\/category\/health\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">uterus transplantation<\/a>"],"unlinked":["<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">robotic surgery<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">University of Gotenburg<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">uterus transplantation<\/span>"]}},"comment_count":"0","relative_dates":{"created":"Posted 3 years ago","modified":"Updated 3 years ago"},"absolute_dates":{"created":"Posted on June 27, 2023","modified":"Updated on June 27, 2023"},"absolute_dates_time":{"created":"Posted on June 27, 2023 9:35 am","modified":"Updated on June 27, 2023 9:35 am"},"featured_img_caption":"","series_order":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/450560","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2084"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=450560"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/450560\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/493898"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=450560"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=450560"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=450560"},{"taxonomy":"location","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/location?post=450560"},{"taxonomy":"article_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/article_type?post=450560"},{"taxonomy":"serie","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/serie?post=450560"},{"taxonomy":"archives","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/archives?post=450560"},{"taxonomy":"internal_archives","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/internal_archives?post=450560"},{"taxonomy":"reboot-archive","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/reboot-archive?post=450560"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}