Robotic surgery is evolving. Here's what that means for patients.

In 1985, doctors used the PUMA system to perform neurosurgical biopsies, taking samples of peoples' brains so doctors could study tumors—an inherently risky procedure. In 1998, the da Vinci premiered, eventually establishing itself as the most popular robotic surgery platform. That year, it was used in Leipzig, Germany, to perform heart surgery in a much less invasive way than operations done purely by hand.

The 1990s also saw the development of remotely operated robotic surgery systems, which allowed doctors to operate on patients from a distance. One such design was the Medical Forward Area Surgical Team, a robotic surgery system funded by the Department of Defense. MEDFAST could be mounted into an armored vehicle and driven to the front lines to allow for a virtual telesurgical procedure.

Sophisticated advances in this technology continue, from high-definition 3D visualization to improved dexterity and motion scaling. New machines bring even more features, including tables that rotate so doctors can reposition patients during surgery; and fluorescence imaging that uses specialized dyes and lighting to help doctors identify body features such as veins and organs.

Medical technologists today are increasingly integrating AI into robotic surgery systems. These advancements involve real-time processing of data, such as providing surgeons with tactile feedback that simulates the sensation of tissue resistance. Modern AI systems also feature more state-of-the-art camera technology, capable of automatically zooming in and focusing on relevant anatomical structures. AI can also identify critical features like blood vessels and nerves, and even highlight areas where cancer cells are likely to be located.

Researchers are also actively working on developing nanobots, which will allow doctors to operate at the cellular level. These tiny robots are usually less than 1 micrometer across—about a third of the width of a single strand of spiderweb silk—and are designed to navigate through the bloodstream delivering drugs directly to cells. They could, for instance, deliver chemotherapy directly to sick cells without affecting healthy ones, greatly reducing the harm this medication does to people.

Technologies that were once the stuff of science fiction are coming sooner rather than later, even with their high cost and the additional training for surgeons the breakthroughs will require. In the long term, robotic surgeries are likely to actually lower costs by freeing up doctors' time. Despite the growing capacity of these machines, however, they all still require human involvement—at least for now.

Story editing by Nicole Caldwell. Additional editing by Kelly Glass. Copy editing by Tim Bruns.