Robotic Surgery Specialist
Urology Associates Medical Group
Urologists located in Burbank, CA
Gone are the days when you had to undergo invasive treatments of your urinary tract system. The state-of-the-art facility of Urology Associates Medical Group in Burbank, California, provides a modern approach to biopsies, tumor removals, blockages, and other urinary tract problems. Their specially trained urologists can use robotic surgery for multiple diagnostic and treatment procedures.
Robotic Surgery Q & A
What are the benefits of having robotic surgery?
More and more procedures can be done using robotics, so you don’t have to go through a more invasive form of surgery.
Robotic surgery is beneficial because it:
- Allows you to have a quicker recovery time
- Reduces your chances of surgical complications
- Speeds up the surgery process
- Lessens the chances of surgical error
- Makes tissue or tumor removal more precise
- Reduces blood loss
- Results in fewer scars
Which procedures can be done with robotic surgery?
Because the urologists at Urology Associates Medical Group are highly skilled at using da Vinci® Robotic Surgical Instruments, they can treat many types of ailments.
Robotics can be used for:
- Prostate cancer
- Biopsies
- Urinary blockages
- Bladder cancer
- Kidney disorder
- Kidney cancer
- Kidney stone removal
- Large bladder stone or gallstone removal
How is surgery performed with da Vinci Robotic Instruments?
Even though robotic surgery is minimally invasive, you will need general anesthesia.
Once you’re under, your urologist will expand your abdomen by filling it with air or carbon dioxide. This ballooning effect makes it easier for the doctor to see inside your belly.
After that, at least two small incisions will be made into your abdomen. Usually you’ll have one by your belly button, followed by at least one more in your lower groin area, depending on the type of surgery being performed.
Your doctor will use these incisions to insert the robotic tools and repair the damaged area, or remove any problem tissues. Even cancerous tumors can be removed through these small incisions.
Once the procedure is complete, your doctor will seal your incisions with surgical glue, as they’ll be small enough to not need traditional sutures. You’ll have a short waiting period in the recovery room, but with many procedures, you can go home the same day.
Is there a difference between a laparoscopy and a robotic surgery?
Yes: With a laparoscopic procedure, your urologist holds the surgical tools and through the camera sees a 2 dimensional image to perform the surgery.
With da Vinci Surgical Instruments, the tools mimic the surgeon’s movements at the controls of the computer console -- if they twist their hand to the right, the robot will do the same -- which gives a 3-dimensional view of the surgical area. Robotic surgery offers greater precision of movement and eliminates hand tremors for the least amount of tissue manipulation, bleeding, pain, and recovery time.