Robotic-assisted surgery
One of the world's most advanced technologies, robotic-assisted surgery at UM Health-Sparrow, brings expanded treatment options to Mid-Michigan residents. Robotic-assisted technology allows surgeons to perform what was once thought to be impossible - and at a level of precision and control that results in less pain and shorter hospital stays.
Our surgeons train other specialists
UM Health-Sparrow was the first in the area to offer this technology, and now our team of expert surgeons trains other specialists around the state in its use.
A surgeon's experience is critically important in robotic-assisted surgery. The chief surgeon sits a few feet away from the patient, viewing a highly magnified 3D image of the surgical area while moving robotic arms as an extension of the surgeon's own hands. The surgeon is in control at all times, just as in conventional surgery. The four robotic arms cannot be programmed; they follow the surgeon's movements and transmit them into real-time, micro-movement of the instruments. Another surgeon, or a surgical health professional, remains at the patient's side at all times to assist.
The UM Health-Sparrow Surgical Robotics program started in 2005 with one Intuitive DaVinci robot at the Lansing campus. In 2008, UM Health-Sparrow acquired its second robotic-assisted surgery system. The program now boasts forty-five robotics-trained surgeons utilizing a fleet of six DaVinci robots across three hospitals within the health system. In 2023 alone, over 1,700 robotic procedures were performed at UM Health-Sparrow hospitals. With a surgical team of over fifty caregivers, including registered nurses and surgical technologists with extensive training in robotic-assisted surgery, UM Health-Sparrow is regarded as a world-class Surgical Robotics program.
Benefits of robotic-assisted surgery
Robotic-assisted surgery is minimally-invasive, offering potential benefits such as:
- Significantly less pain
- Less blood loss
- Fewer complications
- Less scarring
- A shorter hospital stay
- A faster return to normal daily activities
Robotic-assisted surgery is particularly beneficial in gynecology and urology surgical cases and for colorectal cancer surgery.