Da Vinci® Robotic-Assisted Surgery

If your child needs surgery, you want it to help them feel better and be as safe as possible. Those are our goals, as well. With the right technology and medical expertise, we can shorten hospital stays and increase the safety and effectiveness of surgical procedures. The da Vinci surgical system helps us make those things possible for your family.

What is robotic-assisted surgery?

At Children’s Hospital Colorado, we use the da Vinci robot to perform robotic-assisted surgery. The da Vinci robot has several robotic arms that help perform surgery and show our surgeons high-definition video of the area being operated on. The surgeon can also magnify the video and view it in 3D to see the tiniest details. Your child’s surgeon operates the robotic arms and controls them at all times. The robotic arms can also move in ways the human arm can’t and allow our surgeons to work more quickly and accurately.

Our surgeons sit at the robot’s control center, just a few feet from your child, and direct the robotic arms while communicating with a team that assists them. Our experts are available to answer any questions you have about robot-assisted surgery before or after your child’s operation.

Using the da Vinci surgical system at Children’s Colorado

Children’s Colorado is leading the Rocky Mountain region in the use of robotic-assisted pediatric surgery, aiming for higher levels of surgical precision and safety. Robotic-assisted surgery does not replace the surgeon but instead provides our experienced surgeons with one more tool to help them perform the best surgery possible.

We can utilize robotic-assisted surgery across many different specialties to improve minimally invasive surgeries. At Children’s Colorado, we currently use robotic-assisted surgery for urologic procedures by our certified robotic-assisted surgery specialists.

Adding to our minimally invasive surgery program 

Robotic-assisted surgery expands on traditional minimally invasive surgery by giving the surgeon more control, better precision and the ability to perform more complicated maneuvers. The da Vinci robot allows the surgeon to perform multiple functions with multiple instruments at once. The surgeon also has a better view of the surgery site as they don’t have to rely on someone else to control the camera. These surgeries are cost-effective and don’t increase expenses for patients.

In addition to making surgery less painful and allowing kids to heal faster, Children’s Colorado aims to advance the use of robotics in pediatric surgery and demonstrate how it can lead to better outcomes for all children and families.

Advantages to using robotic-assisted surgery

Robotic-assisted surgery can help increase accuracy and precision, while reducing risk. Patients who undergo robotic-assisted surgery also benefit from:

• Able to perform surgeries thought to be too complex for traditional surgery
• Greater consistency and precision
• Improved outcomes
• Improved overall experience
• Less time in the hospital
• Less pain and narcotic use
• Lower readmission and reoperation rates
• Smaller incisions and faster healing times

What to expect after robotic-assisted surgery

Your child’s care team will provide a detailed plan to make their recovery as smooth as possible. 

• Pain control: Your child’s doctor will provide a pain management plan for you to follow at home. Your child may only need acetaminophen (such as Tylenol®) or ibuprofen (such as Motrin®) to control pain. In some cases, we may prescribe pain medicine for a short time.
• Eating and drinking: In most cases, your child can return to their regular diet after they’re discharged from the hospital.
• Activity: Your child should return to activities gradually. If your child is taking prescription pain medicine, keep them at home. Certain complex procedures require specific activity instructions and limitations. Your child's care team will provide these instructions to you.

Where to find robotic-assisted minimally invasive surgery services 

We currently offer robotic-assisted surgery at our Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora.

Contact us to learn more

Contact us at 720-777-5084 to learn if your child’s procedure can be done using robotic-assisted surgery.