Robotic Surgery

Robotic Surgery Expands Patients’ Surgical Treatment Options

Robotic-assisted surgery is currently the most state-of-the-art approach to surgical care. It is designed to give surgeons greater range of motion, improved dexterity, enhanced visualization and better access to hard-to-reach surgical sites.

In combining the advantages of open surgical procedures and laparoscopy, robotic surgery allows physicians to perform more complex procedures with greater control and precision. In some cases, surgeries that previously could only be performed through larger incisions can now be done through 1 to 2 cm incisions using robotic-assisted surgery.

A surgeon utilizing the robotic system has greater precision of movement and a more detailed view of the surgical site using its 3D visualization system.

Understanding the Procedure

Like traditional laparoscopy, robotic procedures involve the insertion of surgical instruments and cameras into the patient’s body through a series of small incisions. However, for robotic surgery, the surgeon operates remotely from a separate console located within the operating room. The surgeon is guided, in part, by magnified three-dimensional images that are sent by the cameras inside the patient in real time. The quality of the images transmitted to the console is 10 times greater than what the human eye can see, providing a much more enhanced view than what is possible with open surgery.

The surgeons and their assistants guide the placement of the instruments through the tiny incisions. The surgeon then operates using hand and foot controls to move the system’s robotic arms. Surgical assistants are at the patient’s side to reposition the instruments as needed and provide other support.

daVinci® Surgical System

The Robotic & Minimally Invasive Surgery Center at University Hospitals Urology Institute offers patients access to the daVinci® Surgical System, which is the most advanced robotic-assisted surgical device available to surgeons.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the use of the daVinci® Surgical System for urology procedures, general laparoscopic surgeries and general gynecologic laparoscopic surgeries, among other procedures.

Benefits of Robotic-Assisted Surgery

The robotic system is capable of enhancing physician precision by scaling down even the slightest movements the physician makes.

Benefits of robotic-assisted surgery include:

• Reduced pain and blood loss
• Faster recovery
• Fewer complications such as infection
• Shorter hospital stays
• Less scarring