The Department of Surgery is committed to innovation and progress and we continually strive to make surgical care safer and more effective. Robotic surgery is an important tool in these efforts. Surgeons who use the technique say it gives them greater precision, control and access than other methods, allowing them to tackle very delicate and complex procedures.
During robotic surgery, the surgeon sits at a console a few feet away from the patient. Using the console's high-tech interface, the surgeon maneuvers several robotic arms, equipped with tiny cameras and surgical instruments, to perform the procedure. The surgeon is in control the entire time.
This kind of surgery is minimally invasive, meaning it's performed via several tiny incisions. Compared with other types of minimally invasive surgery, the robotic system gives surgeons greater precision and range of motion as well as a better view of the surgical area.
Our Robotic Surgeons believe that this combines the best of both worlds: It gives them the control and access of open surgery while offering patients all the benefits of minimally invasive procedures.
Benefits of robotic surgery
Robotic surgery has all the benefits of minimally invasive surgery. When compared with open surgery these include:
Robotic surgery makes minimally invasive procedures possible for more patients. In the past, patients who needed complex procedures or surgeries involving multiple specialties had only one option: open surgery. Thanks to the flexibility and access robotic surgery allows, many of these patients can now undergo a minimally invasive procedure instead.
There's less risk that surgeons will switch to open surgery mid-procedure. Sometimes surgeons switch from minimally invasive surgery to open surgery when they encounter unexpected issues, such as a patient's complicated anatomy. Several studies have shown that this is much less likely to happen during robotic surgery than during other types of minimally invasive surgery.
Research on the benefits of robotic surgery is ongoing. However, our robotic surgeons believe it provides better outcomes than other techniques and allows them to perform complicated procedures that wouldn't be possible otherwise.
One caveat: Robotic surgery isn't appropriate in every case. The type of procedure and the patient's age, condition and medical history may make other techniques a better choice. If you need surgery, your surgeon will discuss the best option for you.
Why choose UCSF for robotic surgery
UCSF has built a large, state-of-the-art robotic surgery program. We offer:
Robotic surgery procedures
We offer robotic surgery for a wide range of procedures, including:
Glossary: Types of surgery Open surgery: Surgeons make one large incision to directly access the body. Minimally invasive surgery: Surgeons access the body through one or more tiny incisions instead of a large one. You may also hear it called "keyhole" surgery. Laparoscopic and endoscopic surgery: Minimally invasive surgeries in which the surgeon inserts a thin, flexible tube through a natural opening in the body, such as the mouth or rectum (for endoscopic procedures), or through one or more small incisions (for laparoscopic procedures). The surgeon then feeds tiny surgical instruments through the tube to perform the surgery. Robotic surgery: In this type of minimally invasive surgery, the surgeon uses robotic arms to perform the procedure. You may also hear it referred to as robot-assisted surgery. |