Robotic-Assisted Surgery for Urologic Conditions

A urologic condition is any disease or disorder that affects the male reproductive organs or the male and female urinary tract (kidneys, bladder, ureters and urethra). Common urologic conditions include:

When other treatments and medicine don’t relieve your symptoms, your doctor may recommend surgery, including minimally invasive, robotic-assisted surgery.

Robotic-assisted procedures are an alternative to open surgery and traditional laparoscopy. The doctor passes a camera and instruments through a series of small incisions. Because it requires only a few tiny incisions and offers greater precision and control for the surgeon, patients can often recover sooner and get back to daily life quicker. 

During the surgery, the surgeon operates from a seated position at a console, with eyes and hands in line with the instruments. The surgeon has a magnified, 3D of view of the surgical site and uses handheld controls to manipulate robotic arms that hold special surgical instruments.

Unlike a human hand, the robotic “wrists” can rotate 360 degrees, which allows the surgeon greater precision and flexibility. Throughout the procedure, the surgeon controls every surgical maneuver. The system cannot be programmed or act in any way without the surgeon’s input.

For patients, robotic-assisted surgery offers potential benefits over other approaches, including:

  • Fewer complications
  • Less pain
  • Reduced blood loss and need for transfusion
  • Shorter hospital stay
  • Quicker recovery and return to normal activities

At Mercy we have the skilled surgeons and the advanced technology to handle the most complex surgeries. Our goal is to get and keep you healthy, so you can get back to doing all the things you love. 

Discussions on Robotic Surgery

Related Articles