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Page 6 of 8 Jonis et al. Plast Aesthet Res 2023;10:29 https://dx.doi.org/10.20517/2347-9264.2023.06

benefits for patients? Do I foresee the application of this new device? Robotic assistance in microsurgery has
the potential to improve current techniques to standardize care and support surgeons during surgery.
Studies have shown that robot assistance is easier for inexperienced surgeons to master compared to
conventional manual techniques and our current research supports this finding. Adopting an innovation
such as robotic assistance in microsurgery will require incorporating robotic microsurgical training in the
curriculum of plastic surgery residents.

Surgeons have always been known to be innovators because the integration of new concepts into current
[31]
surgical practices is a fundamental principle . So far, the field of robotic microsurgery is relatively new and
RAMS represents a new enabling technology that has the capacity to advance microsurgery even further.
However, to effectively disseminate innovation, it is essential to test the boundaries of the innovation. In the
case of robotic assistance in microsurgery, large-scale quantitative data in the form of comparative
randomized controlled trials are required.

Currently, the 3rd generation of the MUSA is being developed, which will be commercially available. The
new MUSA will be mounted on a wheeled cart and will facilitate the use of 3D digital microscopes.

CONCLUSION
The development of the MUSA robot, from its inception to the first clinical study, has produced
encouraging results. However, its clinical value has not yet been evidenced on a large scale. Through
randomized controlled trials, comparative studies, and cost-effectiveness analysis, the value of robotic
assistance in microsurgery will become evident. When promising results are proven, it might facilitate the
use of the MUSA robot in general practice.

DECLARATIONS
Author’s contributions
Participated equally in this manuscript’s conception, design, drafting, writing, and revision: Jonis YMJ,
Profar JJA, van Mulken TJM, Qiu S

Availability of data and materials
Not applicable.

Financial support and sponsorship
None.

Conflicts of interest
Tom J. M. van Mulken is a shareholder in the company Microsure. The other authors declare that they have
no conflicts of interest.

Ethical approval and consent to participate
Not applicable.

Consent for publication
Not applicable.

Copyright
© The Author(s) 2023.