What is a robotic pyeloplasty?
Robotic pyeloplasty surgery uses a combination of high-definition 3D magnification, robotic technology and miniature instruments to enhance a urologic surgeon’s skills when correcting a blockage in the renal pelvis. Jim C. Hu, MD, MPH, Director of Minimally Invasive Urologic Oncology at BWH, uses the FDA-approved da Vinci® Surgical System to perform robotic pyeloplasties. The system consists of a surgeon’s console, equipped with a control panel and a hi-definition monitor, and a patient side-cart, outfitted with slender robotic arms and attended by another surgeon and a nurse. Open pyeloplasty requires one large incision and retraction to accommodate human hands, but only tiny incisions in the abdomen (see image below) are required for the slender robotic arms and tiny surgical tools used in a robot-assisted pyeloplasty. There are four available arms – one equipped with a high definition 3-D magnification camera, two that act as the surgeon’s arms and a fourth arm that is used for hold
