If you are a patient with kidney cancer and require surgery to treat, you may be a candidate for a minimally-invasive, kidney-sparing procedure. In some cases, depending on the size and location of the tumor, we are able to save a portion of the kidney. In cases where the entire kidney does require removal, we can often perform the surgery using the assistance of the surgical robot.
Typically, the kidney is removed through a large incision along the side of the body. However, using a laparoscopic approach, such as is utilized with the surgical robot, the incision is limited to three to five small “poke holes” in the belly. A camera and other instruments are placed in these small incisions. The surgeon and assistant are then able to remove the cancer and control the bleeding from inside the abdomen.
Using the robot decreases the size of the incision, lessens the amount of blood lost, and, in most cases, the time of hospitalization, compared with a larger incision surgery. Dr. Hibbert has many years of experience with the surgical robot and performs dozens of robotic cases every year.