Robotic Surgery
Minimally invasive robotic surgery, also called robot-assisted surgery, allows doctors to perform many complex procedures with greater precision and control.
About Robotic Surgery at St. Anthony North Hospital
Our robot-assisted surgery program in Westminster, Colorado combines expert surgeons with state-of-the-art surgical technology and experienced teams.
Our surgeons use the most advanced robotic surgery system to perform complex procedures through smaller incisions for enhanced precision. This means minimally invasive surgical therapies are now available to patients whose only previous surgical options may have been traditional “open” procedures.
Additional benefits of robotic surgery include faster recovery and decreased long-term complications so you can get back home and get back to living.
Benefits of robotic surgery
For most patients, minimally invasive robotic procedures may offer numerous benefits that get you back to your life and what you enjoy doing.
- Reduced pain
- Reduced exposure to pain medications
- Shorter hospital stays
- Minimal scarring
- Fewer postoperative infections and complications
- Smaller incisions
- Reduced blood loss
Our Services
Most people are strong candidates for minimally invasive robotic surgery. Your physician will evaluate during your clinic visit.
We offer robot-assisted surgery in the following specialties:
- General surgery
- Gynecology
- Orthopedics
- Urology
General robotic surgery
We offer the following robotic general surgeries:
- Adrenalectomy
- Anti-reflux and hiatal hernia
- Cholecystectomy (gall bladder)
- Colon surgeries (benign and malignant diseases)
- Gastrectomy
- Hernia
- Small bowel surgery
- Splenectomy
We use robotic surgery for various hernia-related procedures:
- Inguinal hernia unitlateral
- Inguinal hernia bilateral
- Umbilical hernia
- Ventral hernia
- Incisional hernia
- Recurrent incisional hernia
- Peristomal hernia repair
- Hiatal hernia repair
- Paraesophageal hernia repair
- Diaphragmatic hernia repair
Orthopedic robotic surgery
Getting a precise knee implant fit is important to your comfort and overall experience following knee replacement surgery. You’re unique, and so is your individual anatomy. So we use the latest robotic knee system to help our orthopedic surgeons tailor the placement of your customized knee implant.
The advanced technology uses data collected before and during surgery to inform your surgeon of many details related to your unique anatomy that may affect your implant fit. By using this data to make more informed decisions, our surgeons are able to plan for and carry out personalized surgery based upon your individual needs.
Advantages of robotic knee replacement
Being a minimally invasive approach, the knee system offers the following benefits:
- Smaller incisions with reduced scarring and minimal blood loss
- Less postoperative pain
- Shorter hospital stay and recovery period
- Quicker return to daily activities
- Lower incidence of complications
- Precise placement of the implant
- Reduced injury to adjacent tissues
- Increased longevity of the implant
That’s a question you and your orthopedic surgeon will have to answer together. But when knee pain is so bad it actually interferes with the things you want or needs to do, the time may be right. Here are some signs to consider:
- Medication and using a cane just aren’t delivering enough relief
- Pain is keeping you up at night
- Your knee aches during and after exercise
- Your knee stiffens up sitting in a car or a movie theater
- You are no longer as mobile as you’d like to be
Your preoperative experience will be like that of most total knee patients. But unlike traditional knee replacement, the robotic-assisted method creates a three-dimensional model of your knee anatomy intraoperatively and does not require radiation of a CT scan. This 3D model will enable the surgeon to plan many specifics of your knee replacement prior to your surgery.
Our orthopedic team has been specially trained to use the surgical robotic assistant to personalize the surgical approach for your unique anatomy.
It’s important to understand that the robot does not operate on its own. That means it does not move unless our surgeon prompts it to. Our surgeons remain in the operating room, making all decisions throughout your surgery.
During your robotically assisted procedure, a camera and optical trackers attached to your leg know exactly where your knee is in space, much like a global positioning system (GPS). If your leg moves even a fraction of an inch, the robot will adjust accordingly. Throughout your surgery, your surgeon uses real-time data to position your implant based on your unique anatomy.
Following surgery, based on your surgeon-directed recovery plan you may go home the same day.
Recovery time varies, but robotic joint surgery gets you moving faster and has a quicker recovery than traditional non robotic knee surgery. Your surgeon will tell you what activities are safe to return to and when, as well as what activities to avoid.
