Skilled surgeons are using robotics to save the lives of cancer patients at Ohio State. OSUCCC – James doctors were among the pioneers of robotic cancer surgery, starting in the early 2000s. Among the experts currently using the technology at Ohio State is Jeffrey Fowler, MD, an expert in gynecologic cancer and the medical director of The James Robotic Surgery Program. Fowler explains that the term “robotic surgery” is a bit of a misnomer, as surgeons perform the operation using robotic technology first developed for minimally-invasive laparoscopic surgeries. “We call it computer-assisted laparoscopic surgery,” he explains, adding that this technique “adds more precision and better optics” than laparoscopic surgery and reduces the size of the incision, which in turn reduces side effects and speeds up recovery time. Learn all about robotic cancer surgery from Fowler on our Cancer-Free World Podcast. Listen via the video player above or on Soundcloud. Surgeons using robotic technology make four small incisions in a patient, each a little larger in diameter than a pencil. One entry point is used for a high-definition camera, while the other three are for the surgical tools used to remove cancer. “The system allows the surgeon to have total control,” Fowler says, adding that he stands next to each patient while using a monitor and placing his fingers into cups. “It works just like your hands. You can move in six dimensions and there’s no lag time between.” Robotic surgery was initially used primarily for gynecologic and urologic surgeries. In recent years, as the technology has improved, it’s helping patients with head and neck, lung, pancreatic and other forms of cancer. “We are one of the largest robotic cancer centers in the country,” Fowler says.