The Da Vinci TM. Surgical system (Intuitive) Robot is a master slave arrangement. It reproduces in the abdomen the actions of the arm and wrist of the surgeon, while providing a three dimensional, high resolution image of the operative site. Hence it is a natural and intuitive process for the surgeon.

Three laparoscopic ports are introduced for the camera and two working arms. The Da Vinci system is then brought in and the robot docked to these three ports. Three further ports are introduced for a sucker and standard laparoscopic instruments.
The surgeon sits at the console, which is in the operating theatre. An assistant and scrub nurse sit at the operating table. Their task is to change instruments on the robotic arms, suck and irrigate to give a clear view of the field, introduce sutures as required and apply haemostatic clips etc. Figure 1.

The surgeon sits with his or her head in the console to view the three dimensional image. The master controls are held with thumb and forefinger. These control the movement of the instruments inside the abdomen. The position is ergonomic and relaxed, providing reduced surgeon fatigue.