Dr. Hill and surgical robot

Robotic Assisted Surgery

During Robotic Assisted Surgery your surgeon controls robotic arms connected to small instruments that work inside your body. This allows for very precise movements, often in very tight spaces.

Traditional open surgery has long recovery times and larger incisions. Laparoscopic surgery has limitations in the movements of the instruments and tension on the patient’s abdominal wall.

Robotic surgery has fully articulating instruments that work like a human wrist. This gives the benefit of an open surgery with a minimally invasive approach similar to laparoscopic surgery with the added benefit of less post-operative pain, shorter hospital stays, less blood loss during surgery, and faster return to daily activities. Because the robot keeps the surgical arms perfectly still at the abdominal wall, this results in less post-operative pain. There is increased magnification of the robotic camera and more control over surgical instruments which means the tissues are treated more delicately also resulting a less post-operative pain and decreased trauma to the surrounding structures resulting in fewer post-operative complications.

FAQ’s

What does my surgeon do during the operation?
Your surgeon is controlling the robot at your beside and is in the room with you during your surgery. The robot does not do the surgery on its own.

Are there risks with robotic surgery?
All surgery has risks, but there is no increase in risk of complications when your surgery is done robotically and is actually lower with some types of robotic surgery.

Is there pain with robotic surgery?
There will be some pain with your robotic surgery, but studies show that most patients have less pain with robotic surgery compared to open or laparoscopic surgery. This is because of the precision of movement of the instruments with minimize trauma to your surrounding tissues and the robotic arms holding perfectly still in the abdominal wall.

What are the benefits of Robotic surgery?

Less post-operative pain

Fewer complications

Faster return to daily activities

Shorter hospital stays

Less blood loss