EDMONTON - A four-armed surgical robot that looks somewhat like an octopus will be used in an Edmonton hospital starting this fall for minimally invasive operations.
The robot will initially help treat prostate cancer by removing the prostate gland and some surrounding tissue.
The robot works by holding a camera in one of its arms and wielding surgical instruments in its three other appendages.
It's anticipated the robot's work will eventually expand to include gynecology, pediatrics and cardiac surgery at the Royal Alexandra Hospital.
It cost $4 million to purchase the robot and retrofit one of the hospital's operating rooms.
Dr. Dan Birch of Capital Health's Centre for the Advancement of Minimally Invasive Surgery says surgical robots are the way of the future.
