At the University of Michigan, we strive to use exciting, new technology that improves our patients’ outcomes and maintains their quality of life. Robotic surgery is one option that our surgeons excel in and continue to be at the forefront.
In 2001, The University of Michigan was among the first centers in the U.S. to utilize robotic technology for gynecological surgery. Currently we are one of a few surgery programs in the country with a dedicated robotic simulation center to train residents and physicians, plus develop new techniques for robotic surgery.
Conditions we treat and procedures we perform that may be appropriate for robotic surgery include:
- Achalasia (swallowing disorder)
- Acid reflux
- Billary tract disease
- Bladder cancer
- Colorectal disease
- Endometriosis
- Gallbladder disease & stones
- Head and neck cancers
- Hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating)
- Hysterectomy (removal of the uterus)
- Kidney cancer
- Kidney disorders, including urinary obstruction
- Liver disease
- Lung cancer
- Mediastinal masses and cysts (in the middle of the chest)
- Myasthenia gravis (neuromuscular disorder characterized by muscle weakness and muscle fatigue)
- Myomectomy (removal of uterine fibroids)
- Pancreatic disease
- Phrenic nerve paralysis (paralyses the diaphragm)
- Prostate cancer
- Sacrocolpopexy (treats pelvic organ prolapse)
- Sleep apena
- Testicular cancer
- Throat cancer
- Uterine fibroids and abnormal uterine bleeding
Robotic surgery uses slender telescope-like instruments. The surgeon controls the robot from a console near the patient, where the operating field can be viewed in three dimensions. The robot acts as an extension of the surgeon's hands, but with enhanced precision and dexterity, allowing more precise and accurate movements. As a result, complex surgeries can be performed through small incisions, with less blood loss and a quicker recovery.
The benefits of robotic surgery include:
- Less pain
- Less blood loss
- Less scarring
- Less risk of wound infection
- Small incisions
- Shorter hospital stay
- Shorter recovery time
We utilize the da Vinci Si Surgical System, which offers enhanced 3-D, high-definition vision with up to 10x magnification, which allows our surgeons to operate in small spaces more accurately. Your safety is increased by precise dissection and preservation of crucial nerves and vessels.