Urology

The days of week-long hospital stays for prostate and urinary surgeries are long gone. Minimally invasive robotic-assisted surgery now can achieve the same surgical results as conventional open operations, while allowing patients to recover faster and get back to normal activity sooner. With robotic-assisted surgery through tiny incisions, patients are up and out of bed the day of their surgery, and back to light activity at home the day after. That isn’t possible with open surgeries, which require large, painful cuts through muscle and tissue.

Robotic-assisted surgery is a superior approach by other measures, as well: patients tend to develop pneumonia and blood clots less often, have less bleeding, require fewer transfusions, and have fewer complications in general.

Surgeons must be certified to use the da Vinci® Surgical System. Learn more about the robotic-certified urological surgeons we work with in Southern Oregon.

Robotic procedures performed at Providence Medford:

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), or enlarged prostate, is a common cause of urinary problems in older men. When symptoms can’t be controlled with medications, a simple prostatectomy can effectively remove obstructive tissue in the prostate to relieve urinary problems.

For men with prostate cancer who are considering surgery to remove the prostate, robotic surgery offers many advantages over other surgical approaches. Compared to both open and laparoscopic surgery, robotic-assisted surgery offers the potential for a faster and more successful return to sexual function and full urinary continence. Men who choose robotic surgery also tend to have shorter hospital stays and fewer complications.

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Robotic-assisted surgery is often performed to remove the diseased part of a kidney or an entire kidney, depending on the extent of the disease. This procedure is called a radical or a partial nephrectomy. When comparing robotic-assisted partial nephrectomy to open or conventional techniques, the outcomes are similar, but with robotic surgery, patients tend to have fewer complications and shorter hospital stays.

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Urinary blockages are more common in children, but can also occur in adults. The robotic procedure to remove the blockage takes about two to three hours, and most patients can go home the next day.

Learn more about the procedure.

Ureteral reimplantation is a surgical procedure that can correct obstruction of the ureter that may develop as a result of other surgeries near the ureter. Studies show that robotic surgery is a safe and effective option for this procedure, offering finer surgical control, less blood loss and a quicker return home.

Ureters are the tubes that connect the kidneys to the bladder. When cancer is found in one of the ureters, surgery may be recommended to remove all or part of the ureter and then to reconnect the flow from the kidney to the bladder. This procedure, called ureterectomy, is much easier to perform with robotic equipment due to the improved visualization and fine movement control.

Nephroureterectomy is the surgical removal of the kidney, ureter and a small piece of the bladder to treat transitional cell cancer. With robotic surgery, this procedure can be performed with fewer and/or smaller incisions than with open or conventional laparoscopic surgery, and patients need less time with a catheter (a tube that drains the bladder) after surgery.

Bladder diverticula are pouches that form in the bladder wall. If these cause problems, such as urinary tract infections or reflux, surgery may be recommended to remove them. Robotic-assisted diverticulectomy is a safe and effective way to remove diverticula.