Robotic surgery the new norm in the field of minimally invasive urological cancer treatment

Although it has been around for over 20 years, it continues to evolve, and urologists are at its forefront. In fact, the majority of pelvic cancer surgeries are now done using the robotic platform.

Urologists are often at the forefront of innovation, and robotics is no exception. It's so successful in this space because the pelvis is a stationary organ - it doesn't move, unlike a bowel or heart surgery.

The robotic platform offers incredible results with a stationary environment, with optimum magnification and great accuracy. Many patients are strong candidates for robotic surgery.

Most are being treated for urological cancers, but we also see paediatric patients, for example, and perform a corrective surgery called pyeloplasty.

What we find is that their stay in hospital and long-term recovery are much quicker, but there are many other benefits.

For example, it provides a 10 times magnification that allows surgeons to perform very fine surgery, unlike an open operation that doesn't allow for such close inspection.

Unlike the human hand, robotics isn't susceptible to motion tremor and can give precise, steady cuts.

It also offers fantastic ergonomics for the surgeon, who operates at a distance from the patient. All of this contributes to a more focused and accurate procedure with far less human error.

Robots are also more flexible than humans. We are limited in how much we can move our hands, or in which directions.

A robotic platform has a whole extra degree of freedom, rotating with versatility that allows surgeons to access difficult places with ease.

As a result, we see fewer complications, less pain, reduced blood loss and less noticeable scarring.

The outcomes are far superior to an open operation or even laparoscopic surgery, and we are encouraged by its far-reaching uptake. If Medicare can provide this option to the 70 per cent of Australians accessing the public system, we expect it will truly take off and improve surgical outcomes for all patients.

Being a robotics patient is quite different from other surgeries. Somewhat surprisingly, most patients do have a good understanding of what's involved, especially in the field of prostate cancer - perhaps because there are some fantastic organisations doing a lot of education work in this space.

For those patients who are less certain, we take a neutral approach. We help them to understand their options and put them in touch with organisations that can give them a feel for what it is.

To create an informed and comfortable environment, we can show them photos or even videos of the surgical environment - where the surgeon will be sitting, where the patient will be and so on.

Knowing their surgeon will be sitting at a console, operating a robot, comes as a surprise to some!

Developing trust is crucial. By welcoming a patient into this space, we provide clarity and insight that forms part of their decision-making process.

Once they have the information they need, the vast majority of patients do choose to go ahead with robotic surgery and have a positive experience.