At UVA Health, you'll find surgeons who are highly trained in performing robotic urology surgeries. These include
- Prostatectomy — treats prostate cancer by removing part or all of a prostate gland
- Pyeloplasty — repairs an abnormality of the kidney and nearby ureter (the tube connecting kidney and bladder)
- Cystectomy — removes all or part of the bladder to treat bladder cancer
- Nephrectomy — treats kidney cancer, kidney stones or kidney disease by removing all or part of the kidney
- Ureteral reimplantation — to disconnect and reinsert the ureter from the bladder to keep urine from flowing backwards from the bladder into the kidneys
- Procedures requiring fine dissection and suturing, such as reconnection of the ureter
Benefits of Robot-Assisted Surgery
With robotic urology surgeries, your doctor guides robotic arms through tiny keyhole incisions.
Compared to more traditional procedures, robotic-assisted surgery may result in:
- Less scarring
- Reduced recovery times
- Less risk of infection
- Less blood loss
- Reduced trauma to the body
- Shorter hospital stay
- Faster recovery
Robot-Assisted Surgery: What To Expect
Before the Procedure
Depending on the reason for your surgery, your doctor may do the following:
- Physical exam
- Blood tests and urine tests
- Electrocardiogram (ECG, EKG)
- Intravenous pyelogram (IVP)
- Retrograde pyelogram
- Kidneys, ureter, bladder (KUB)
- Ultrasound
- CT scan
- MRI scan
- Cystoscopy
Leading up to the procedure:
- Talk to your doctor about your medications. You may be asked to stop taking some medicines up to one week before the procedure.
- Take antibiotics and follow a special diet if instructed.
- Shower the night before using antibacterial soap if instructed.
- Arrange for someone to drive you home from the hospital.
- Talk with your team about what you can eat and drink before surgery.
During the Procedure
We use general anesthesia so you won't feel pain during the procedure. Your doctor makes several small keyhole incisions in your abdomen. Your doctor will pass carbon dioxide gas through the area to easily view internal structures. Your doctor passes a small camera (endoscope) through one of the incisions. The camera lights, magnifies and projects the structures onto a video screen. The camera is attached to one of the robotic arms. The other arms hold instruments for grasping, cutting, dissecting and suturing.
The procedure takes between 2-4 hours. You should expect to stay about 1-2 days in the hospital.
Post-procedure Care
Total recovery usually takes about 3-6 weeks.