While “robotic-assisted surgery” might conjure futuristic images of machines operating on humans, da Vinci technology is better understood as an extension of the surgeon’s hands. The surgeon is in the operating room and seated at the da Vinci system console. While cameras magnify the surgeon’s view up to 10 times what can be seen by the human eye, the surgeon maneuvers robotic instruments that move like human hands, but with an extended range of motion and increased precision. The technology first received FDA approval in 2000 and has since become a widely accepted tool for surgeons.
“By equipping our medical professionals with the tools and expertise they need to use advanced surgical technology, we ensure our pediatric patients receive the best possible outcomes through minimally invasive procedures,” says Dr. Robert Obermeyer, Vice President and Chief of Surgery at CHKD. “We are committed to pioneering the future of pediatric surgery through the use of the most advanced robotic technology available.”
CHKD surgeons perform approximately 40 robotic cases per year. Minimally invasive and robotic-assisted surgery have become routine for cases in which delicate suturing is required or the target organ is difficult to access.
“Urological surgery is only one of the areas that benefits from robotic-assisted technology,” says Dr. Janelle Fox, pediatric urologist and Chief of Pediatric Urology at CHKD. “Robotics can also be used for orthopedic surgery, abdominal surgery, even some cardiac and ENT surgeries. I truly believe that most of our surgeries over the next few decades will evolve into much more precise and less invasive techniques, thanks to technology like the da Vinci.”
Published in CHKD's KidStuff Magazine, Summer 2025
Written by MaryClaire Hudson • Photograph by Ken Mountain