The revolution of robotic surgery in urology

Robotic assisted laparoscopic surgery , more commonly known as robotic surgery , is an evolution of laparoscopic surgery. Like this one, robotics is done through small skin incisions of between five and ten millimeters through which we introduce operating and vision instruments.

The great advantage of these approaches lies in the fact that it allows to operate with an amplified vision, much higher than that which traditional surgery allows us, especially in deep organs, and that results in better dissection results.

In robotic surgery, the instruments and the camera are mounted on robotic arms, which the surgeon handles through a console. The robotic arms allow a great mobility of the instruments, identical to the one that would get the hand of the surgeon. They also eliminate any degree of tremor, which together with the above, achieves absolute precision in all movements.

In urology, robotic surgery is used in the same pathologies in which we use laparoscopy, that is, in oncological surgery and in reconstructive surgery.

In cancer surgery there is a great experience in pelvic surgery , especially in radical prostatectomy and less in radical cystectomy. In these interventions good cure rates are achieved, reducing the sequelae produced in open surgery, especially in regard to urinary incontinence and preservation of sexual potency.

Undoubtedly, it is in reconstructive techniques such as ureteropyeloplasty or ureteral reimplantation , where robotic surgery has greater benefits since it combines the advantages of the laparoscopic approach in terms of vision with the ease of movement necessary for this type of technique and that entails a limitation for traditional laparoscopic surgery.

Robotic surgery is, therefore, a useful surgical alternative and superior in many aspects to traditional approaches using open surgery.