Update Course Rewind 2025: Robotics in Pediatric Surgery: Which indications benefit the most?
With Dr. Dr. Juan Gurria · hosted by Dr. Jill Knerath
Educational content from recorded physician discussions — not medical advice. Talk to your (or your child's) care team about your situation.
More about adrenal masses
same diagnosisOnly a few other public items share this diagnosis — nothing to add yet.
Only a few other public items share this expert — go deeper there →
What the experts said
All pediatric surgical patients discussed are good candidates for robotic surgery
The human hand has 6 degrees of freedom for mobility, robotic has 7
Robotic surgery reduces postoperative pain and infection risk, leading to faster recovery
The learning curve for robotic surgery is better than laparoscopic surgery
Time to reduce operative times is way faster for robotic than laparoscopic after a few cases
There is no FDA approval for robotic surgery in pediatrics, but it should be coming soon
After a few cases, robotic surgery decreases operative time
Improved efficiency and reduced operative time reduces costs for robotics in the long run
New robotic systems allow surgeons to tell when the suture is about to rupture
Robotic surgery improves depth perception compared to laparoscopic surgery
Robotic surgery reduces surgeon fatigue compared to laparoscopic surgery
In colorectal surgery, robotic operative time is longer than laparoscopic
Laparoscopy has a higher conversion rate to open surgery than robotic surgery in colorectal cases
Both robotic and laparoscopic surgery have comparable oncologic results
With trained personnel, room turnover time for robotic surgery equals that of laparoscopic surgery
Cases needed for basic proficiency: 20 to 30 for laparoscopy, 10 to 15 for robotic
It takes half the number of cases to become proficient in robotic surgery versus laparoscopy
Robotic surgery does not impair outcomes in oncologic surgeries
Robotics can be indicated for surgeries in the chest, pelvic reconstruction, abdominal tumors, and urology
In smaller patients, measure 3 centimeters between ports
Future pediatric surgeons will be doing robotic surgery rather than laparoscopy
Robotic surgery in pediatric patients is ideal in select cases including adrenal masses, polycystic kidneys, and nephrectomies
Reported cons of robotic surgery include cost, set up time, the size of the ports, and a steep learning curve
Operative times and conversions to open surgery are lower for robotic surgery compared to laparoscopy once proficiency is achieved