What is Robotic Surgery? | UCLA Health

Robotic surgery is surgery with very small incisions and better magnification, resulting in faster recovery times and fewer risks - UCLA Health. UCLAHealthmyUCLAhealthSchoolofMedicine UCLARoboticSurgery Togglenavigation AboutUs WhatisRoboticSurgery? ConditionsTreated RoboticSurgeryOptions ColorectalRoboticSurgery GeneralRoboticSurgery GynecologicRoboticSurgery Head&NeckRoboticSurgery HeartRoboticSurgery ThoracicRoboticSurgery UrologicRoboticSurgery ForPatients OurRoboticSurgeons ContactUs UCLAHealth myUCLAhealth SchoolofMedicine UCLARoboticSurgery WhatisRoboticSurgery? Home WhatisRoboticSurgery? AboutRoboticSurgeryatUCLA Sharethis WhatisRoboticSurgery? Ifadoctortellsyouthatyouneedsurgery,youmayfeelconfusedandconcerned.Youareprobablyworriedaboutwhetherthesurgerywillbesuccessful,howmuchpainyoumayhaveandhowmuchtimeyouwillmissfromwork.Thegoodnewsisthatwithadvancesinsurgicaltechnology,youcanexpectaverydifferentsurgeryexperienceatUCLA. RoboticsurgeryiscurrentlycarriedoutwiththeuseofthedaVinci™surgicalsystem,auniquesetoftechnologiesthatincludespecialized“arms”forholdinginstrumentsandacamera,aswellasamagnifiedscreenandaconsole. UnderstandingRoboticSurgery Whatisminimallyinvasivesurgery? HowdoestheRoboticSurgicalSystemwork? Isarobotoperatingonme? Roboticsurgery:Whattoexpect BenefitsofRoboticSurgery WhatarethebenefitsofRoboticassistedsurgery? Whatconditionscanbetreatedwithroboticsurgery? ConcernsaboutRoboticSurgery Cananydoctorperformroboticsurgery? Isroboticsurgerysafe? Howdoestheroboticsurgeonseewhatheorsheisdoing? Recovery HowmanydayswillImissfromwork? Painmanagementoptions:Afterroboticsurgery WhatisMinimallyInvasiveSurgery? Minimallyinvasivearejusttwofancywordsthatmeansmallerincisions.Thesetypesofsurgeriesmeanshorterhospitalizationandfasterrecoveryforpatients.Otherbenefitsmaybe: Lessblood Lessscarring Reducedriskofinfection Fasterreturntoyourlife backtotop» HowDoestheRoboticSurgicalSystemWork? TooperateusingtheRoboticsystem,yoursurgeonmakestinyincisionsinyourbodyandinsertsminiaturizedinstrumentsandahigh-definitionthree-dimensionalcamera,andsometimesskinincisionsarenotrequiredatall.Then,fromanearbyconsole,yoursurgeonmanipulatesthoseinstrumentstoperformtheoperation. ThinkoftheRoboticsystemsystemlikeavideogame.Whenyouplayavideogame,youmoveacontrolbutton,andthemachinetranslatesyourmovementsintoreal-time,mimickingyourmovespreciselyonthescreen.DuringaRobotic-assistedprocedure,yoursurgeonusesmastercontrolstomanipulatetheinstruments,andtheinstrumentstranslateyoursurgeon’smovementsintoprecisemovementsinsideyourbody.Yoursurgeonisincontrolthewholetime;thesurgicalsystemrespondstothedirectionheprovides. backtotop» Isarobotoperatingonme? Wealsoknowmanypatientsareconcernedabouttheideaofarobotperformingsurgery. YoushouldknowthattheRoboticSurgicalSystemisreallyasystemthatallowsyoursurgeontomakeprecise,delicatemotionswhilecontrollingthemachine. Therobotisnever,evermakingdecisionsorperformingincisions.Rather,yoursurgeonistellingtherobotwhattodo,andtherobotallowsforgreaterprecisionthanthehumanhandonitsown. TheRoboticsystemcannot“think”onitsown.Itonlyrespondstoyoursurgeon’sprecisehandandfingermovements.Yoursurgeonisintheoperatingroom,directingtheproceduretheentiretime. backtotop» RoboticSurgery:WhattoExpect DuringaRobotic-assistedsurgery,yoursurgeon“directs”thesurgeryfromnearby,butdoesnotstandoveryoulikeduringatraditionalsurgery.Whileeachsurgeryisdifferent,herearethegeneralstepstoaRobotic-assistedsurgery: Yoursurgeonmakestiny(onetotwocentimeter-long)incisionsinyourbody. Yourdoctorinsertsaminiatureroboticinstrumentsandapowerfulcameraintoyourbody. Yoursurgeonthensitsatanearbyconsole(alargecomputer)todirecttheprocedure.Attheconsole,theareaofoperationcanbeseenhighlymagnified,withexcellentresolution. Sittingattheconsole,yoursurgeonmanipulatesthecontrols. Theinstrumentsrespondtothesemovements,andtranslatethemintoprecise,real-timemovementsinsideyourbody. Theroboticdevices,whichhavegreaterdexterityandrangeofmotionthanahuman,allowyoursurgeontosuccessfullyperformdelicatesurgeriesinhard-to-reachplaces. backtotop» WhataretheBenefitsofRobotic-assistedSurgery? TherearemanybenefitstohavingaRobotic-assistedsurgery.ARobotic-assistedsurgerybenefitsyoudirectly—shorterrecoverytime—aswellasindirectly—thesurgeonhasbettervisualization,leadingtoamoreprecisesurgery.Otherbenefits: Yoursurgeonhasgreaterrangeofmotionanddexterity Yoursurgeonseesahighly-magnified,high-resolutionimageoftheoperatingfield Yoursurgeonhasbetteraccesstotheareabeingoperatedon Shorterhospitalstay Lessriskofinfection Lessbloodlossandfewerbloodtransfusions Lesspain Fasterrecovery Quickerreturntodailyroutine backtotop» WhatConditionsCanbeTreatedwithRoboticSurgery? ManyconditionshavebeensuccessfullytreatedusingRobotic-assistedsurgery.Theseinclude: ColorectalSurgery Generalsurgery Gynecologicsurgery Heartsurgery Endometriosis HeadandNeck(Transoral)surgery Thoracicsurgery Urologicsurgery backtotop» CananyDoctorPerformRoboticSurgery? Withoutpropertraining,anydoctorcannotsimplywalkintoanoperatingroomanddirectaroboticsurgery.However,anydoctorcanbesuccessfullytrainedintheRoboticSurgicalSystem.ThatiswhyatUCLA,wehaveinvestedsomuchinnotonlytrainingoursurgeons,butalsointrainingourentireroboticsurgicalteam,sothatpatientscanexpectthebestpossibleexperience.Meetourroboticsurgeons. backtotop» IsRoboticSurgerySafe?  BycomingtoUCLAwheresafetyandqualityisourhighestpriority.Wehavetrainingsupportedbysimulationandeducationalprogramswherewetrainnotonlyourowndoctorsbutalsothosefromacrossthecountrytobethebestandmostskilledintheircraft. backtotop» HowDoestheRoboticSurgeonSeeWhatHeorSheisDoing? Thereisacamerainsideyourbody,whichsendsreal-timeimagestoyoursurgeon,seatedattheconsole.Infact,theimagesyoursurgeonseesusingtheRoboticSystemaremorehighlymagnified,withasharperresolution,thenwhatheorshewouldseestandingoveryou. backtotop» HowManyDaysWillIMissfromWork? Everypatientisdifferentandyoushoulddiscussyourrecoverywithyourdoctor.Ingeneral,patientsmaystayinthehospitalonetotwonightsandthenreturnhome.Mostpatientsfindtheyhaverecoveredfullywithinsixweeksofsurgery. backtotop» PainManagementOptionsafterRoboticSurgery WetakepainmanagementaftersurgeryveryseriouslyatUCLA.Ourteamsresearcheffectivepainmanagementtechniquesforuseaftersurgery,includingroboticsurgery.Theywillworkwithyoutomakesureyourpainismanagedwellbefore,duringandafterthesurgery.Asweknowpeople’spaincancontinuewhentheyreturnhome,wewillalsohelpdevelopapaintreatmentplanforyouforwhenyouleavethehospital. backtotop» ContactUs Phone:800-UCLA-MD1(or800-825-2631) LikeUsonFacebook FollowUsonTwitter SubscribetoOurVideosonYouTube FollowusonInstagram ConnectwithUsonLinkedIn FollowusonPinterest UCLAHealthFindaDoctor SchoolofMedicine SchoolofNursing UCLACampus Directory Newsroom SubscribePatientStories Giving Careers VolunteerInternationalServices PrivacyPractices NondiscriminationBillingHealthPlans Emergency ReportBrokenLinks TermsofUse 1-310-825-2631 Maps&Directions ContactUs YourFeedbackReportMisconductGetSocial Sitemap LikeUsonFacebook FollowUsonTwitter SubscribetoOurVideosonYouTube FollowusonInstagram ConnectwithUsonLinkedIn FollowusonPinterest × SignintomyUCLAhealth LearnmoreaboutmyUCLAhealth