Robot makes kidney surgeries easier for doctors and patients
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Backus doctors continue to expand their use of the da Vinci robotic system, using it for a number of different kidney procedures.
"One of the very first cases we used the daVinci for was a kidney procedure, back in December 2008, but now we are using it for a few different types of procedures," said T. Casey McCullough, DO, a board-certified urologist on the BackusMedical Staff who is specially trained in robotic surgery.
The robotic system has been used in cases for radical nephrectomies, which is removing the whole kidney; partial nephrectomies, removal of a portion of the kidney; and pyeloplasty, for a kidney collecting system reconstruction. It has also been used to remove the adrenal gland, which is above the kidney.
The daVinci robotic surgical system combines robotics and computer technology to allow surgeons to see vital anatomical structures more clearly and perform detailed surgical procedures more precisely. The robot allows doctors to see the surgical field in three dimensions at 10-12 times the magnification of the human eye.
Dr. McCullough said with the robotic system the partial nephrectomy procedure is much easier and faster to do, because of the threedimensional vision and the precision offered by the technology.
In a partial nephrectomy, which is usually done because a tumor has been found or is suspected, a portion of the kidney is removed and the remaining kidney is sewn back together.
"This is very difficult to do purely laproscopically-the robot allows us to do it with more accuracy and faster," he said.
For a pyleoplasty, which corrects a ureteropelvic junction (UPJ) obstruction, the obstruction is cut out and then the collecting system is repaired. In these cases, there is a blockage at the connection of the kidney with the ureter, the tube that carries urine from the kidneys to the bladder. Dr.McCullough said with the daVinci system a surgeon can see the obstruction better and perform a more accurate reconstruction.
"There are many advantages to using the daVinci robotic system for these types of surgeries," Dr. McCullough said. "We can use smaller incisions, so there is less pain and a quicker recovery period. There is also less blood loss.