Robotic Surgery

Clinical programs using robotic surgery

Cardiovascular Surgery
General Surgery
Otolaryngology
Urology

Cardiovascular Surgery

Surgeons at Children's use the robot to repair patent ductus arteriosus, a congenital heart defect. Traditional treatment requires a large incision and lengthy recovery. The robot allows the surgeon to correct the deformity without opening the ribs to reach the heart. This "closed-chest" surgery promises to revolutionize the field of cardiovascular surgery.

Surgeons at Children's also use the robot to divide vascular rings, which reduce pain, scarring, and recovery time.

General Surgery

In older children, duodenal stenosis, a blockage in the intestine, is corrected using robotic surgery. Heller myotomy, a procedure to treat achalasia, a rare disorder of the esophagus, biliary reconstruction and gastroesophogeal reflux surgery (fundoplication) are also performed with the robot. In very small infants the robot is used for lung resections and complex reconstructions of the biliary system.

Otolaryngology

Children's was the first to use the robot in delicate airway surgery to repair a laryngeal cleft, which allows food and liquids to enter the lungs causing chronic lung disease and swallowing difficulties. Conventional treatment is invasive, requiring an incision in the neck and opening of the larynx.

Urology

Children's urologists have been at the forefront of pediatric robotic surgery since 2001. Today, they perform bladder augmentation, pyeloplasty to correct ureteropelvic junction (UPJ) obstruction, ureteral reconstruction, stone disease, vesicoureteral reflux, duplex collecting system, disorders of the genitourinary system, retrovesical surgery to repair and remove anomalies of the genitourinary tract behind the bladder, and renal surgeries using robotic technology.