• Cardiac Procedures
• Laparoscopic Procedures
• Robot-Assisted Surgery—Overview
• Thoracic Procedures

Definition

A robot-assisted urologic surgery is when a doctor guides small robotic arms through tiny incisions to do the surgery. It allows for greater range of motion than regular surgery.

Male Genital and Urinary Systems From top to bottom: Kidneys, ureters, bladder, prostate, and urethra. Copyright © Nucleus Medical Media, Inc.

Reasons for Procedure

This method is used when surgery needs to be precise. Examples of robot-assisted urologic surgeries are:

• Prostatectomy —removes part or all of a prostate gland to treat prostate cancer
• Pyeloplasty —repairs problems with the kidney and the tube that leads from the kidney to the bladder
• Cystectomy —removes all or part of the bladder to treat bladder cancer
• Nephrectomy —removes all or part of the kidney to treat kidney cancer, kidney stones, or kidney disease
• Ureteral reimplantation—disconnects and reinserts the tube from the bladder to keep urine from flowing backwards from the bladder into the kidneys

The benefits of this type of surgery are:

• Less blood loss
• Lower risk of infection
• Less scarring
• Less trauma to the body
• Faster recovery
• Less time in the hospital

Possible Complications

Problems from robotic-assisted surgeries are rare, but all procedures have some risk. The doctor will go over some problems that could happen, such as:

• Excess bleeding
• Problems from anesthesia, such as wheezing or sore throat
• Infection
• Damage to nearby organs or structures
• The need to switch to traditional surgery types, such as traditional laparoscopic or open surgery

Things that may raise the risk of problems are:

• Smoking
• Chronic diseases, such as diabetes or obesity
• Alcohol use disorder

What to Expect

Description of the Procedure

Several small incisions will be made in the belly. A needle may be used to inject gas into the area. This will make it easier to see inside the body. A scope with a small camera on the end will be passed through one of the incisions. The camera will display the area on a video screen. Next, robotic arms holding tools will be inserted through the holes.

While sitting nearby, the doctor will use lenses to look at a magnified 3-D image of the inside of the body. Another doctor will adjust the camera and tools. The robotic arms and tools will be guided by the surgeon. When the surgery is done, the tools will be removed. Stitches or staples will be used to close the incisions. Bandages will be used to cover them.

Instrument Used in Procedure Copyright © Nucleus Medical Media, Inc.

Call Your Doctor

Call the doctor if you are not getting better or you have:

• Signs of infection, such as fever and chills
• Problems passing urine
• Heavy bleeding or clots in the urine
• Pain, burning, urgency, or increased frequency of urination
• Redness, swelling, increasing pain, excessive bleeding, or discharge from an incision
• Belly swelling or pain
• Constipation, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea
• Pain and swelling in your feet, calves, or legs
• New or unexpected symptoms

If you think you have an emergency, call for medical help right away.