Robot-Assisted Surgery

Get the most advanced treatment possible when you choose OSF HealthCare for robot-assisted surgery. You'll experience less pain and faster recovery times when your surgeon uses robotic technology to complete your procedure.

Surgeon Leaning On a daVinci Robot Device

What Is Robot-Assisted Surgery?

Robot-assisted surgery helps surgeons perform complex surgery in new, less invasive ways. Most commonly, surgical robots allow surgeons to see inside your body without making a large incision. Robotic arms also hold and maneuver surgical tools more steadily than a human hand. The robot doesn’t perform the surgery or make decisions; it’s simply a tool your surgeon uses to increase precision and accuracy.

Why Use Robot-Assisted Surgery?

Robot-assisted surgical procedures make many kinds of minimally invasive surgery possible. They offer several benefits, including:

Faster and easier recovery
Less blood loss
Less pain during recovery
Less scarring
Lower risk of infection
More accuracy during delicate procedures
Shorter hospital stays

Robot-Assisted Surgical Procedures

Your surgeon may recommend minimally invasive robotic surgical procedures for:

Bariatric (weight-loss) surgery, available in Evergreen Park and Peoria
General surgery, including colon surgery, gallbladder removal, GERD treatment, hernia repair and liver surgery
Gynecologic procedures, such as fibroid removal, hysterectomy and uterine prolapse repair
Joint replacement
Thoracic surgery, including esophagus removal and lung resection
Urologic procedures, such as prostate removal and ureter surgery

Because surgery can be especially delicate in children, robotic technology is a helpful tool. Surgeons at OSF HealthCare Children’s Hospital of Illinois use it to complete multiple pediatric urologic procedures.

Pediatric Pyeloplasty

The ureter is a tube that brings urine from your kidneys to your bladder. Sometimes, this tube is too narrow and becomes blocked. Pyeloplasty is a surgery used to remove the narrow, blocked portion of the ureter. Robot-assisted pyeloplasty causes minimal scarring, and children can return to school within two or three days.

Pediatric Ureteral Reimplantation

Some children are born with vesicoureteral reflux (VUR), which happens when urine flows backward from the bladder into the kidneys. The surgery to fix this traditionally requires a large incision and a long recovery time. However, robot-assisted ureteral reimplantation allows surgeons to repair the defect-causing VUR with minimal scarring. Your child should be able to return to school in two or three days after this procedure.

OSF HealthCare Saint Francis Medical Center is the first Robotic General Surgery Epicenter in Illinois and the second in the nation. Surgeons at OSF HealthCare Saint Anthony Medical Center, OSF HealthCare St. Joseph Medical Center, and OSF St. Mary Medical Center help lead the way in robot-assisted surgical techniques across the county. This means you can expect the best in robot-assisted surgical care. Ask your surgeon if your procedure will use one of these robotic systems.

da Vinci® Surgical System

The da Vinci Surgical System shows your surgeons 3D imaging of your internal organs during the operation for increased accuracy. It uses miniature surgical instruments to perform very delicate procedures. Your surgeon will use hand controls that guide the robotic system’s micro-movements.

During the da Vinci robotic procedure, a computer performs millions of safety checks to improve your outcome. This advanced technology gives you a better chance of your surgery going well.

Mako Robotic-Arm Assisted Technology

The Mako Robotic Arm helps increase accuracy during delicate procedures. During joint replacement surgery, your surgeon may use the Mako Robotic Arm to help increase the precision of their movements. That means your new joint fits as well as possible.

Xi Surgical System

The Xi Surgical System is the next generation of da Vinci robotic tools. It features all the benefits of the original robotic da Vinci surgery, along with:

A new overhead arm that allows access from any position
Even clearer 3D high-definition imaging
Longer instrument shafts that let your surgeon reach farther
Small, thinner surgical arms with a better range of motion

Loading component...

Ask for a Referral

Ask your doctor for a referral to an OSF HealthCare specialist who performs robotic surgery in Northern or Central Illinois.