Baptist Health’s robotic surgery program is one of the most robust in the country. With our highly experienced and specialized surgeons and the latest sophisticated robot platforms, you can expect high-quality, compassionate care from our team.
The robotic surgeons at Baptist Health are trained in a range of specialty areas, including minimally invasive cancer treatments. Our surgeons are some of the most experienced in the country. Many of them have performed thousands of cases while teaching other surgeons and developing new techniques for the robotic platform.
At Baptist Health South Miami Hospital, robotic surgery is designated as a Center of Excellence for Robotic Surgery (COERS) by the Clinical Robotic Surgery Association (CRSA) and a Center of Excellence in Minimally Invasive Gynecology (COEMIG) by the American Association of Gynecologic Laparoscopists (AAGL).
How does robotic surgery work?
First, your surgeon will make a few dime-sized incisions in your body. The location of the incisions will depend on the type of surgery you have.
Your team will set up four robotic arms with tiny surgical tools and a 3-D camera (endoscope). These tools will fit through the incisions and will be controlled by the surgeon.
Once the equipment is in place, your surgeon will sit nearby in the operating room at a console with a monitor. The monitor will display a magnified 3D high-definition, real-time view of the inside of your body. The surgeon then uses hand and foot controls to direct the robotic arms, equipped with the surgical instruments, and perform the surgery. Surgeons describe the instruments as extensions of their own hands, with the same range and dexterity of normal hand and wrist movements.
What are the benefits of robotic surgery?
With a high-definition camera and precision tools, robotic surgery allows surgeons to perform complex procedures with more precision, flexibility and accuracy. Ultimately, this translates to better patient outcomes.
Because robotic surgery uses small incisions, it also means patients experience:
- Less blood loss and pain
- Less noticeable scars
- Less risk of complications and infection
- Shorter hospital stays and quicker recovery
- A faster return to normal activities
Risks: Robotic surgery involves risk, some of which may be similar to risks of conventional open surgery, such as a small risk of infection and other complications.
What types of robotic surgeries are offered at Baptist Health South Florida?
- Bariatric
- Colorectal
- Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT)
- General
- Gynecologic
- Heart
- Oncologic (cancer)
- Thoracic (chest)
- Urologic
Some of the robotic treatments we offer include:
- Hysterectomy – This surgery removes the uterus and may be used to treat fibroids or cancer.
- Myomectomy – This procedure removes uterine fibroids but not the uterus.
- Sacrocolpopexy – This procedure provides support for the vagina after pelvic floor prolapse.
- Radical prostatectomy – This surgery removes the prostate gland to treat prostate cancer.
- Chest surgery – Also called thoracic surgery, chest surgery can include removing cancer from the lungs or procedures on the esophagus and thymus.
- Weight-loss surgery – This can include gastric bypass, adjustable band and revisional bariatric surgery.
- Colorectal surgery – This may be used to treat cancer, diverticulitis or rectal polyps.
- Kidney surgery – This may be used to remove tumors, blockages or other masses.
- Tongue and throat surgeries – These procedures may be used to treat benign tongue problems or throat cancer.
- Abdominal surgery – This may include surgery to repair hernias or to remove the gallbladder, spleen or tumors.
Locations
Frequently Asked Questions
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Although it is called robotic surgery, or robot-assisted surgery, the tools used during the procedure are not programmed and do not move on their own. Instead, they are controlled by a highly skilled surgeon. The system translates the surgeon’s moves to the robotic arms in real-time.
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Many of Baptist Health’s surgeons have been extensively trained on the robotic surgery platform and have performed thousands of cases. Several of our surgeons also teach other surgeons how to use the robotic platform to perform safe and effective minimally invasive surgery. This level of experience is unmatched by most robotic surgery programs across the U.S., according to the robotic platform’s manufacturer.
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Minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery uses small, specialized instruments and a camera that are placed in the body through tubes called trocars. While robotic surgery also uses trocars, the surgeon’s process is different.
Laparoscopic surgery requires the surgeon to operate as if he or she is looking in a mirror. Robotic surgery, however, uses arms and wrist-like instruments that move in the same direction as the surgeon’s hands. This allows the surgeon to perform the surgery without having to think backward.
The magnified high-definition camera also gives the surgeon a closer and clearer view of the organs and structures he or she is operating on.