UM Medical Center’s Robotic Surgery Program

Robotic Surgery Overview

The latest advance in minimally invasive or laparoscopic surgery – known for its small incisions, shorter hospital stays and quick recovery times compared to more traditional surgery – is robotic surgery.

The University of Maryland Medical Center now uses the da Vinci S Surgical System, for prostate cancer, coronary artery bypass surgery, gynecological surgery and kidney surgery.

About the da Vinci S Surgical System

The da Vinci S Surgical System features three main components:

A robot, which is located next to the patient and has four interactive arms that carry and securely hold the instruments and a high-magnification endoscopic camera, which serve as the surgeon’s hands and eyes.
An ergonomic surgeon’s console, where the surgeon sits and manipulates the controls to precisely maneuver the robotic arms.
A computer, which translates the camera’s view into three-dimensional images.

Robot-assisted minimally invasive surgery provides the benefits of traditional minimally invasive or laparoscopic surgery, but with important technological improvements, including:

Advanced optics that provide 10-times magnified, three-dimensional images of the surgical area.
Robotic arms that eliminate even the slightest human hand tremors.
Instruments with “wrists” that pivot 540 degrees, for greater maneuverability than is possible with human hands or laparoscopic instruments.

Dr. James Borin, the medical center’s director of robotic surgery, says a common patient fear is that the robot will do something independently of the surgeon.

“The robot has the ability to make finer movements than I do, and eliminates any hand tremors so it’s more accurate than the human hand,” Dr. Borin says. “But the surgeon controls every movement the robot makes.”

Click here for answers to more frequently asked questions about robotic surgery.

Benefits to Surgeons and Patients

Robot-assisted surgery benefits both surgeons and patients in many ways, all of which help lead to better patient outcomes. For surgeons, this technology provides increased dexterity, precision and control, along with allowing them to operate in a more comfortable seated position at the console as opposed to standing.

The benefits for patients include the following:

Less pain (and need for pain medication)
Less scarring
Less bleeding (and need for blood transfusions)
Lower risk of infection
Shorter hospital stays
Quicker recovery time and return to normal activities

This page was last updated on: August 10, 2009.