ABSTRACT
Surgical robots were developed to facilitate minimally invasive surgery and to assist surgeons in performing procedures that could otherwise be technically challenging using traditional open or laparoscopic techniques. The development of robotic surgery was aided by the defense advanced research projects agency, who funded research into the possibility of a remote surgery program for battlefield triage. In 1999, the first da vinci® system was introduced to the market, and in 2000 it was cleared by the food and drug authority (FDA) for minimally invasive surgery including urological procedures. Subsequently, in 2005 the da vinci surgical system became the only robotic system to be granted FDA approval for gynecological surgery in the united states.
