Robotic Urology Procedures

At UVA Health, you'll find surgeons who are highly trained in performing robotic urology surgeries. These include:

• Aquablation — robotic-assisted technology removes prostate tissue using a high-powered water jet to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia
• Cystectomy — removes all or part of the bladder to treat bladder cancer
• Nephrectomy — treats kidney cancer, kidney stones or kidney disease by removing all or part of the kidney
• Prostatectomy — treats prostate cancer by removing part or all of a prostate gland 
• Pyeloplasty — repairs an abnormality of the kidney and nearby ureter (the tube connecting kidney and bladder)
• Ureteral reimplantation — to disconnect and reinsert the ureter from the bladder to keep urine from flowing backwards from the bladder into the kidneys
• Procedures requiring fine dissection and suturing, such as reconnection of the ureter

Benefits of Robot-Assisted Surgery

With robotic urology surgeries, your doctor controls the robotic attachments to perform the surgery.

Compared to more traditional procedures, robotic-assisted surgery may result in:

• Less scarring
• Reduced recovery times
• Less risk of infection
• Less blood loss
• Reduced trauma to the body
• Shorter hospital stay
• Faster recovery

Robot-Assisted Surgery: What To Expect

Before the Procedure

Depending on the reason for your surgery, your doctor may do the following:

• Physical exam
• Blood tests and urine tests
• Electrocardiogram (ECG, EKG)
• Intravenous pyelogram (IVP)
• Retrograde pyelogram
• Kidneys, ureter, bladder (KUB)
• Ultrasound
• CT scan
• MRI scan
• Cystoscopy

Leading up to the procedure:

• Talk to your doctor about your medications. You may be asked to stop taking some medicines up to one week before the procedure.
• Take antibiotics and follow a special diet if instructed.
• Shower the night before using antibacterial soap if instructed.
• Arrange for someone to drive you home from the hospital. 
• Talk with your team about what you can eat and drink before surgery.

During the Procedure

We use general anesthesia so you won't feel pain during the procedure. Depending on the type of procedure, your doctor may make several small keyhole incisions in your abdomen. Your doctor may then pass carbon dioxide gas through the area to easily view internal structures. A small camera (endoscope) would be passed through one of the incisions. The camera light helps to magnify and project the structures onto a video screen. The camera is attached to one of the robotic arms. The other arms hold instruments for grasping, cutting, dissecting and suturing.

Depending on the type of procedure, it could take several hours and total recovery could take about 3-6 weeks or more. 

Post-procedure Care

Total recovery usually takes about 3-6 weeks.