Urologic Surgery
When your urologic conditions require surgical treatment, your urologist will use the latest technology and techniques in UM BWMC’s operating suite. These techniques include laparoscopic, minimally invasive procedures and robotic-assisted surgery.
The da Vinci® Surgical System provides surgeons with an alternative to both traditional open surgery and conventional laparoscopy. The da Vinci® System enables surgeons to perform complex and delicate procedures through small incisions. The system features a magnified 3D high-definition vision system and tiny wristed instruments that bend and rotate far greater than the human wrist.
As a result, the robotic assistance enables your surgeon to operate with great vision, precision, dexterity and control. Your surgeon is 100% in control of the robotic system, which translates his or her hand movements into smaller, more precise movements of tiny instruments inside your body. This means patients can experience less blood loss, smaller incisions, less pain and a quicker recovery. Many of our urologists are specially trained to perform these types of procedures.
When possible, our urologists use minimally invasive techniques to perform surgeries to treat urologic cancers. One example is laparoscopic renal cryosurgery - a technique that freezes and kills kidney cancer cells to treat renal cell carcinoma, the most common form of kidney cancer. In the past, surgeons often treated kidney cancer by removing all or part of the kidney through an open procedure. Now, the laparoscopic procedure requires only a small incision, and surgery complications are minimized. The procedure allows most patients to return home the following day.
When your urologist recommends surgical treatment, he or she will discuss your options and help you develop the best plan of care.