IMPACT OF FORCE SENSORS AND HAPTIC FEEDBACK IN ROBOTIC SURGERY: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW akpal.jnmc@yahoo.com

 

IMPACT OF FORCE SENSORS AND HAPTIC FEEDBACK IN ROBOTIC SURGERY: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

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India

Oral or Poster

Robotic platforms in minimally invasive surgery are increasingly becoming a standard, given their enhanced precision and control. However, robotics currently lacks the nuanced feedback surgeons rely on to judge the amount of force being applied to delicate tissues. Integrating force sensors and haptic feedback into robotic platforms aims to restore that lost sense of touch.

We undertook a systematic review (registered on PROSPERO: CRD420251036466), conducted according to PRISMA 2020 and Cochrane standards. We screened published and unpublished studies from central databases, including MEDLINE, PubMed etc. Studies were included if they directly compared robotic systems fitted with force/haptic feedback to conventional robotic setups across clinical, preclinical, and simulation environments. Two reviewers were independently involved and the quality of evidence was carefully evaluated with standard risk-of-bias and GRADE tools, and quantitative synthesis was conducted when studies used comparable outcome measures.

Eighteen studies—encompassing randomized trials, experimental setups, and comprehensive reviews—met the criteria. Integrating force feedback consistently led to more accurate surgical technique, typically improving fine motions by about 0.2mm, and reduced the risk of tissue trauma by at least a third in controlled studies. Participants reported feeling less mental strain when haptic cues were present. While trends suggested slightly faster surgeries and fewer complications, the existing clinical evidence is not yetbacked by any robust data.

The analysis shows that robotic systems equipped with force or haptic feedback may help in enhancing technical skill, protects tissue, and makes training more effective and less fatiguing.