USA: NEW YORK: ROBOT ASSISTED HEART SURGERY
TAPE_NUMBER: EF00/0810
IN_TIME: 20:37:12
LENGTH: 02:07
SOURCES: APTN
RESTRICTIONS:
FEED: VARIOUS (THE ABOVE TIME-CODE IS TIME-OF-DAY)
SCRIPT: English/Nat
XFA
A sixty-seven year old man will be one of the first to undergo robot assisted heart surgery next Monday at a hospital in New York.
On Thursday, he met the robot that will operate on him -- as well as the doctors who will direct the groundbreaking, closed chest heart surgery.
The use of the robot surgeon is proven to have better precision than a surgeon's hands, and can shorten recovery times by five sixths.
While over 250 such procedures have already been performed in Europe, the procedure is just getting off the ground in the U-S.
Hundreds of people come each year to New York's Beth Israel Medical Centre to undergo open-heart surgery -- a medical procedure not without risks and a prolonged recovery time.
But one lucky patient -- the second one in the New York area -- will probably go home a mere 24 hours after surgery, thanks to a new closed-chest operating procedure performed on him by a robot surgeon.
Today Mr. Eugene Bem met his artificial surgeon -- a 6 foot 5 inch, one million dollar robot named Morton.
It is one of three such robots performing closed heart surgery in the U-S.
The Da Vinci system, manufactured by Intuitive Surgical, Inc., is the first surgical robot to win food and drug administration approval.
The robot, however, is not a thinking machine and will not be in charge of the operation -- it is what is known as a 'slave robot' - that is controlled by two primary surgeons -- Dr. Hanni Shennib and Dr. Robert Tranbaugh.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
"With this robot, with, you know, an instrument that is the size of a beetle-head, that you put in there and manipulate from the outside, you're able to access and leverage things as if you own hand was inside."
SUPER CAPTION: Dr. Hanni Shennib, Director of Center for Innovative Cardiovascular Therapy, Beth Israel Hospital
The robotic surgical system consists of two primary components: the surgeon's viewing and control console and the surgical arm unit that positions and manoeuvres detachable surgical instruments.
The pencil sized instruments -- with tiny, computer-enhanced mechanical wrists -- are designed to provide the dexterity of the surgeon's forearm and wrist at the operative site through entry ports less than 1 centimetre wide.
This enables the surgeon to enter the chest through keyhole incisions and perform closed-chest heart and lung surgery.
One port allows access for the endoscope, a tiny camera that is attached to a fibre-optic cable. The other two ports provide access for surgical tools. Instead of the surgeon holding the tools, the robot's wrists do -- providing greater range of motion than would be humanly possible.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
"This is safer for the patient, there's shorter recovery time, cosmetically it's minimal scars. When they go home they have Bandaids over the areas that the instruments were in the patient's chest."
SUPER CAPTION: Joel Kirschner, Project Manager, Da Vinci Systems
Beth Israel's Heart Institute successfully performed the first robotic assisted bypass surgery in New York on June 28th, using the Da Vinci system.
The 39-year old male patient was released from the hospital in less than 24 hours -- an unprecedented fast period.
Mr. Bem is confident that his operation will be successful as well.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
"I read something about this robot, and I had a long talk, not quite long talk, with the doctor and I'm quite convinced that it would be OK with me. I know that everything will be all right."
SUPER CAPTION: Eugene Bem, Pre-surgical patient
The operation is scheduled for Monday, July 24th.
SHOTLIST: New York City, New York, U-S - July 20, 2000
1. Wide shot, cardiac intensive care unit
2. Close-up, heart monitor
3. Wide shot patient and doctor with robot
4. Close-up pan down robot surgeon
5. Close-up robotic blade
6. Medium shot doctor showing patient the robot surgeon
7. SOUNDBITE: (English) Dr. Hanni Shennib, Director of Center for Innovative Cardiovascular Therapy, Beth Israel Hospital
8. Medium shot, doctor's console
9. Doctor sits down at console
10. Close-up, doctor looking into lens
11. Close-up hands on controls
12. SOUNDBITE: (English) Joel Kirschner, Project Manager
13. Pan of robot surgeon
14. Pan from cameraman to doctor/patient
15. SOUNDBITE: (English) Eugene Bem, Pre-surgical patient
16. Medium shot, IV bags, pan to nurse tending heart patient
17. Close-up doctor on phone, pull-out to heart unit
Keyword-medical?