Robotic-Assisted Laparoscopic Pyeloplasty

A robotic-assisted laparoscopic pyeloplasty to remove an obstruction from a kidney and reconnect the kidney's drainage system was recently performed at Children's Hospital in Boston (MA, USA).

Open pyeloplasty surgery is usually performed by making an incision in the patient's side under the rib. It may also be performed laparoscopically, although many surgeons have not learned how to do this efficiently. In the recent procedure, performed as a live Webcast to promote medical education, surgeons used minimally invasive robotic methods to perform the complete reconstructive surgery laparoscopically with very high precision, eliminating the need for a large surgical incision.

"I find that with the three-dimensional imaging, I can visualize more effectively and perform more precise and complex reconstructive surgery inside the abdomen,” observed Craig Peters, M.D., a urologic surgeon at Children's Hospital and associate professor of surgery at Harvard Medical School. "Although operative times have increased with the use of the robot compared to traditional open pyeloplasty, we are getting closer to open surgical times, and hospitals stays have decreased from three days to one.” Dr. Peters also noted that robotic surgery reduces blood loss and postoperative pain, as well as allowing for a quicker recovery from surgery.

"I think robotic surgery is the way to go,” added Dr. Peters. "With robotic-assisted pyeloplasty leading the way, this technology has changed the way we do surgery and has allowed us to provide new treatment options to our patients.”







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