This robotic system really helps a surgeon to perform a variety of complex minimally invasive surgery (i. e. with minimal side effects to the patient).
The system consists of two parts: the robot itself with four “hands” and the surgeon’s console, via which they guide these “hands”. The FDA approved the use of Da Vinci in 2000, and today thousands of such systems operate in various countries, including Ukraine. In total, more than 6 million different operations have been carried out using such systems.
Many patients with diabetes mellitus have to regularly take insulin in order to regulate the content of glucose in the blood. Since the end of last century, a number of genetically engineered analogues of human insulin appeared at the market.
They differ from a “natural” molecule in one or more amino acids in a particular place. At the same time they perform the same function as human insulin, but can differ according to some characteristics, for example, they have a more prolonged effect or begin to act very quickly. Such drugs include insulin lispro, insulin aspart, insulin detemir, insulin degludec and others, known under different brand names. These products improve the quality of life of patients with diabetes mellitus.
Heart transplantation today is not the most difficult operation in terms of techniques. But the problem is the lack of donor organs worldwide and many patients have to wait long for their turn. If the own heart can no longer perform its functions, it may be temporarily replaced by an artificial one. The research on the development of such devices started back in the middle of previous century. However, the first successful attempts of its use in humans were made in the late 20th century.
In 2004, the FDA approved the Total Artificial Heart (TAH) made by American SynCardia as a temporary “bridge” for patients waiting for transplantation of the donor heart. As reported by the company, today it is the only manufacturer of commercially available artificial hearts. The TAH has been implanted more than 1,700 times, accounting for more than 600 patient-years of support.
Other various models of artificial hearts in different countries are at different stages of development or testing.
