Robotic Treatment of Inflammatory Diseases

The nursing profession over the years has undergone a series of changes that have resulted in a modernization of the nursing figure in Italy and in the world. The modern nurse is a professional with university education, professional autonomy and professional responsibility. The foundation of modern nursing is the ‘code of ethics’, which represents the document that dictates the rules of conduct and ethics of the nurse in his/her professional activity. Today the nurse is the health professional who, with his own field of activity, assists, treats and takes care of the patient in a global way. He/She is a graduate professional who, enrolled in the professional order, carries out prevention functions, assistance, therapeutic education, management, training and research. The modern role of the active team nurse is to be considered a change achieved gradually and deservedly. Finally, the legislative and professional evolution has led to the transformation of the colleges into orders and the equalization of responsibilities for all health roles.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a group of immune-mediated bowel conditions, predominantly Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), significantly affecting patients’ quality of life. This chapter explores the evolving landscape of IBD management. With the emergence of novel therapeutic agents and a multidisciplinary approach, surgeons have become pivotal early in the disease course. At the same time, the advances in disease understanding, diagnostics, and surgical technology have enhanced treatment outcomes. Surgical candidates with IBD present unique risk factors, regardless of age, often accompanied by malnutrition and related comorbidities. Addressing fertility, sexual function, and continence preservation is paramount, particularly given the young age at diagnosis. Despite declining surgery rates in recent decades, the global demand for IBD surgery is rising, reflecting the increasing prevalence of diagnoses. Traditional open surgery, long considered the gold standard, offers tactile benefits in distinguishing healthy and affected tissues. Nevertheless, the expanding adoption of minimally invasive surgery (MIS) in IBD cases has shown promise in reducing adhesion formation, pain, and length of hospitalization. In the context of MIS, robotic surgery is gaining prominence for its potential to improve surgical outcomes. Two main concepts of robotic surgery exist. The first is based on a monolithic system including all the robotic arms and tools, the second is centered on flexibility and scalability, with independent robotic wheeled units that can be deployed independently and possibly moved freely into the operative room. More recent surgical platforms have adopted this second concept. These novel robotic platforms have the potential to provide surgeons with more flexibility and dexterity in complex and challenging cases, such as those of a typical IBD patient. However, further studies are needed to assess their full potential and to identify the best settings for their use.