Childen's Hospital Boston
International Visitorsdotted lineRequest Appointmentdotted lineDirections
 advanced search
About Us Find a Specialist Locations Careers Press Room Giving To
Clinical Services For Patients & Families For Health Professionals Research
My Child Has
or find by letter:  A-F  G-L  M-R  S-Z

Robotic Surgery
Center for Robotic Surgery
Why Choose Us
Down Arrow About Robotic Surgery
Conditions and Treatments
Frequently Asked Questions
Innovative Treatments
Patient Stories
Equipment
Research
For Professionals
Meet the Team
Contact Us
Find Us
Email this page
Printer Friendly
Return to
Cardiovascular Program
Urology
Surgery
Otolaryngology and Communication Enhancement
X
Home Clinical Services Center for Robotic Surgery About Robotic Surgery
Flower About Robotic Surgery
Robotic surgery is one of the most exciting and promising areas in the field of minimally invasive surgery. Using a high-tech robot, specially-trained surgeons perform a number of complex and delicate operations through very small surgical openings; reducing pain, recovery time, hospital stays and scars.
Minimally invasive surgery not enough
For years physicians have used ever-smaller scopes, tubes, and other apparatus to "see" inside the body and operate through small incisions. Unfortunately, technical limitations of minimally invasive surgery equipment -- such as a lack of dexterity and depth-perception for the surgeon -- make it unsuitable for use in most pediatric surgeries.
Robotic surgery brings benefits
Advances in robotic technology now make it possible for the tiniest patients to get the benefits of "smaller" surgeries. The robotic equipment has been miniaturized for use in children, and made more precise, flexible and dexterous. Enhanced imaging technology provides sharp and clear 3-D views of the operating site.
Operating robotically
During a robotically-assisted surgical procedure, the patient is in a typical operating room surrounded by operating room staff. Two or three small (1/2" or less) incisions allow a camera and tiny robotic surgical instruments inside the body.

Sitting at a console on one side of the operating room, a surgeon studies crisp "real-time" video images of the operating site while grasping controls in each hand. Each subtle movement of the surgeon's wrists, hands, and fingers is precisely translated to the tiny surgical instruments inside the patient's body.

"It's as though my hands are actually inside the patient, yet I'm working through a tiny surgical opening," says Hiep Nguyen, MD, co-director of the Urology Robotic Surgery Program.

Patients get the benefits of minimally invasive surgery, while the technology allows greater surgical precision, improved dexterity, increased range of motion, and 3-D imaging, which makes it useful even in complex procedures.

Photos ©2006 Intuitive Surgical, Inc
X
Two tiny scars from robotic surgery on a patient's abdomen
Surgeons sit at a console, where each subtle hand movement is precisely translated to tiny surgical instruments inside the patient
Click to see larger image
Enhanced imaging technology provides a sharp and clear 3-D view for the surgeon
Click to see larger image
Surgeon's hand on the da Vinci surgical robot control
X
Children's Hospital Boston is the primary pediatric teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School
Contact Us Site Map Privacy Accessibility Give Now en Español
Children's Hospital Boston300 Longwood AvenueBoston, MA 02115(617) 355-6000 © 2005-2007 All rights reserved