2024 Volume 60 Issue 5 Pages 776-782
Robot-assisted laparoscopic surgery has rapidly gained popularity in the field of adult urology in Japan and is particularly becoming the standard procedure for diseases such as prostate cancer (radical prostatectomy) and kidney cancer (partial nephrectomy). The surgical robot system, i.e., the da Vinci Surgical System®, allows the surgeon to operate remotely using control levers. With a three-dimensional image providing depth perception and approximately 10 times magnification, the surgeon benefits from a broadened field of view. The robotic arms are equipped with articulated functionality at the tips of the forceps, allowing for a 70-degree range of motion and high degrees of freedom. Additionally, the motion scale feature enables intuitive and delicate surgical maneuvers. In pediatric urology, especially in the reconstruction of the urinary tract, where surgical interventions are often intricate, the characteristics of the robotic system can be leveraged effectively. Particularly in renal pyeloplasty, the utility of the surgical robot has been confirmed globally even in young children. The establishment of this surgical approach is anticipated to be highly beneficial for various pediatric urological diseases in the future. Given its increasing prevalence in general adult surgical domains, its widespread adoption in pediatric general surgery is also greatly anticipated.
