Urological Robotic Surgery

When medication and other non-surgical treatments are unavailable or cannot relieve symptoms, surgery is the recommended treatment for many conditions that affect the male reproductive organs and urinary tract organs. These conditions can include, but are not limited to:

• Prostate cancer
• Ureteropelvic junction (UPJ) obstruction (a blockage in the area that connects part of the kidney to one of the tubes that move urine to the bladder)
• Bladder and kidney cancer
• Vesicoureteral reflux (abnormal flow of urine from the bladder back into the ureters)

Fortunately, less invasive surgical options are available to many people facing urologic surgery. The most common is laparoscopy, which uses small incisions. Laparoscopy can be very effective for many routine procedures, but limitations of this technology prevent its use for more complex urologic surgeries.
A new category of surgery, The da Vinci® Robotic Surgical System, is being used by an increasing number of surgeons worldwide for prostatectomy and other urologic procedures. It is a minimally invasive approach, using the latest in surgical and robotics technologies and is ideal for delicate urologic surgery. This includes prostatectomy, where the target site is not only tightly confined but also surrounded by nerves affecting urinary control and sexual function. Using robotic surgery, your surgeon has a better tool to spare those delicate and critical surrounding nerves.

Nephrectomy or Partial Nephrectomy

A nephrectomy is the surgical removal of a kidney that may be needed if your doctor recommends surgery for a kidney condition such as blockage of the ureters or kidney cancer. The da Vinci Robotic Surgical System for kidney conditions uses the best techniques of open surgery and applies them to a robotic-assisted, minimally invasive approach.

Prostatectomy

A prostatectomy is the surgical removal of all or part of the prostate gland. The target site for a prostatectomy is surrounded by nerves affecting urinary control and sexual function. The The da Vinci Robotic Surgical System is so precise that surgeons can spare these nerves, enabling patients to maintain continence and erectile function - two major concerns for patients undergoing surgery.

Urinary Obstruction (Pyeloplasty)

If your doctor recommends surgery to treat urinary obstruction, you may be a candidate for a new, minimally invasive approach - da Vinci Robotic Surgery for Urinary Obstruction. This surgery, known as pyeloplasty, removes the blockage in the urinary system. During surgery, your doctor will reattach the healthy part of the kidney to the healthy part of the ureter - the narrow tubes that carry urine from the kidneys to the bladder.

For more information about robotic-assisted surgery or a physician referral, please call (813) 644-6773.