What is robotic surgery?
Robotic surgery is a minimally invasive type of surgery in which your incisions are about the size of a buttonhole. Using these tiny incisions, your Advanced Urology Medical Offices specialist can access virtually any part of your urinary system to perform necessary repairs.
In robotic surgery, your surgeon sits at a surgical console, placing their hands on specialized controllers as they view the surgery site on a high-definition monitor. The controllers relay every movement directly to surgical instruments within the robotic arms in the patient cart by your side.
What are the advantages of robotic surgery?
Robotic surgery has many advantages, including:
- Precision: More precision than traditional open surgery
- Infection risk: Greatly reduced infection risk due to small incision size
- Recovery: Faster recovery than with open (traditional) surgery
- Healing: Fast healing because of reduced bleeding, swelling, and bruising
- Shorter hospital stay: Many robotic surgeries are even outpatient
Another significant advantage of robotic surgery is that it can precisely remove damaged tissue, like prostate cancer, without impairing continence or sexual function long-term. For many serious urologic conditions that were previously treated with complicated open surgeries, robotic surgery is now the best answer.
What types of surgery can be performed robotically?
Many urologic surgeries can be performed robotically today, including:
- Prostatectomy: Partial or total prostate gland removal
- Nephrectomy: Removal of one or both kidneys
- Cyst removal: Kidney cyst removal
- Cystectomy: Removal of part or all of the bladder
- Pyeloplasty: Renal pelvic reconstruction
- Ureteral implantation: Repair of the ureters, the tubes connecting your bladder and kidneys
Other types of urologic surgery might also be done robotically, based on the situation and a patient’s needs.
Does a robot really perform robotic surgery?
No, the robotic arms are 100% under the control of your Advanced Urology Medical Offices surgeon at every moment of your surgery. The robotic arms act as an extension of your surgeon’s own hands, adding far more flexibility and more precision than human hands can manage.
Your surgeon still performs the robotic surgery. It’s simply a more efficient way to perform highly technical surgeries with less damage to the patient.
If you would like to learn more about how robotic surgery can help resolve your urological condition, book online, or call the Advanced Urology Medical Offices location nearest you.
