Rochester General Hospital
Robotic Pyeloplasty
The kidneys are two small organs located behind the abdomen, on each side of the spine. By producing urine, kidneys remove toxic by-products and excess fluids from the body, which helps maintain a critical balance of salt, potassium and acid.
A common condition affecting the kidneys is blockage of the ureters, the tubes that transport urine from the kidneys to the bladder. Blockages of the ureters can be present from birth or acquired through illness or injury, and can create serious side effects like infections and kidney stones. If left untreated, blockages can cause chronic pain and may damage the kidney over time.
Treatment Options
Ureter conditions involving a blockage can usually be treated by dilating or removing the blockage; depending on the type of blockage, surgery may be used.
This surgery, called a pyeloplasty, is traditionally performed using an open approach, which requires a large abdominal incision. Another approach, conventional laparoscopy, is less invasive, but limits the doctor’s dexterity, visualization and control, compared to open surgery. If your doctor recommends a pyeloplasty, you may be a candidate for a new, minimally invasive approach — Robotic Surgery.
Robotic Surgery uses state-of-the-art technology to help your doctor perform a more precise operation than conventional instrumentation allows. It offers numerous potential benefits over a conventional open surgery, including:
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Significantly less pain
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Less blood loss
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Fewer transfusions
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Less risk of infection
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Less scarring
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Shorter hospital stay
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Shorter recovery time
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Increased potential for kidney preservation
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Better clinical outcomes, in many cases
Robotic Surgery incorporates the best techniques of open surgery and applies them to a robotic-assisted, minimally invasive approach.
The precision and dexterity afforded by the Robotic Surgical System’s advanced instrumentation facilitates a minimally invasive approach for treating kidney and ureter disorders.
As with any surgery, these benefits cannot be guaranteed, as surgery is both patient- and procedure-specific.
For more information, please call: (877) 922-5465
