Robot-assisted urological surgery: Current status and future perspectives

OBJECTIVES: To discuss the current status of robot-assisted urological surgery. METHODS: We searched PubMed for articles published from 2008 using the search terms ‘advances’, ‘robotic surgery equipment’ and ‘instrumentation’. We also searched PubMed for articles describing the latest developments in reconstructive techniques for lower and upper urinary tract procedures. Finally, we searched PubMed for original articles containing the terms ‘robotic surgery training’ and ‘credentialing’. RESULTS: With each release of hardware or ancillary instrumentation, the reconstructive abilities of the da Vinci surgical system (Intuitive Surgical, Sunnyvale, CA, USA) improve. Recent developments in reconstructive capabilities of robotic urological surgery include posterior reconstruction during robot-assisted radical prostatectomy, barbed sutures for urethrovesical anastomosis, sliding-clip renorrhaphy for robot-assisted partial nephrectomy, and repair of pelvic organ prolapse. The safe implementation of robotic surgery is aided by new guidelines in credentialing and proctoring, and the introduction of virtual reality simulators for training. CONCLUSION: Robotic urological surgery is rapidly developing and expanding globally. To achieve the highest levels of safety for patients, surgeons must ensure that the implementation of robotic surgery is an integrative and effective process.