[AESOP 3000--computer-assisted surgery, personal experience].

At present the most widely used system of CAS is a vocally controlled manipulator of the laparoscope AESOP 3000 (Automated Endoscopic System for Optimal Positioning) which makes it possible to implement some operations without the assistance of another surgeon ("Solo-surgery"). Because of financial costs the so far little used equipment ZEUS or DA VINCI are already "master-slave" systems with several robot arms where the surgeon operates by means of manipulators in the controlling unit without direct contact with the patient. At the First Surgical Clinic, General Faculty Hospital and First Medical Faculty Charles Universitx the authors use the robot system AESOP 3000 since March 2000, in particular in laparoscopic gastric banding on account of obesity, in laparoscopic cholecystectomies, laparoscopic gastroenteroanastomoses and operations in the area if the hiatus. This system made it possible to reduce the number of assisting physicians. E.g. in gastric banding one assistant is sufficient, in laparoscopic cholecystectomy it is possible to operate only with a suture nurse. The application of AESOP is particularly useful in laparoscopic appendectomies and inguinal hernioplasties where it makes possible so-called "solo-surgery" or "one man surgery". No doubt, it is however necessary to have the possibility to call immediately another doctor to the operation theatre in case of necessary conversion of laparoscopy of laparotomy. The authors did not record any case of unwanted movement of the robot arm or another serious technical problem. As compared with a manually guided laparoscope during the use of AESOP the number of unwanted or inadequate shifts of the optical equipment or its angular rotation decreased considerably.