What is robotic surgery?

The Urology Clinic of the Palacký University Medical Faculty and the Olomouc University Hospital played a crucial role in the the establishment of the University Robotic Centre in 2009. The University Robotic Centre consists of a specialized room equipped with the Da Vinci S HD robot, related technology and state-of-the-art monitors for mini-invasive robot-assisted surgeries. Besides surgeries, the centre also provides training for students from the Faculty of Medicine of Palacký University in Olomouc. We performed our two-thousandth robotic surgery in 2017.

Robotic team:

  • Prof. MUDr. Vladimír Študent, Ph.D.
  • MUDr. Aleš Vidlář, Ph.D., FEBU
  • MUDr. Michal Grepl, Ph.D.
  • MUDr. Igor Hartmann, Ph.D.
  • MUDr. Vladimír Študent, Ph.D.
  • MUDr. František Hruška, FEBU
  • MUDr. Jan Šarapatka, FEBU

What is robotic surgery?

Robot-assisted surgery is a form of minimally invasive surgery. The term „minimally invasive“ means that instead of approaching the target organ through a large opening, we use miniaturized surgical instruments which can be inserted into a patient’s body through miniature incisions. These instruments are fixed on three robotic arms which provide the surgeon with the maximum range and accuracy of movement. The fourth arm holds a camera with a 3D, magnified, HD image. The surgeon controls all four arms, including the camera, using a console located in the operating theatre.

The risk of blood loss and damage to adjacent tissue during the surgery is minimized thanks to excellent imaging and the precision of movements. The need for pain medication in the post-operative period is therefore reduced. As opposed to open surgeries, this procedure shortens the hospital stay and the recovery period, and enables an earlier return to normal life.

Robotic urological surgeries in the Olomouc University Hospital are led by prof. MUDr. Vladimír Študent, Ph.D., the head of the Czech Society of Robotic Surgery, who has performed over 1,100 robotic surgeries.

What are the advantages of robotic surgeries?

  • Shorter hospital stay
  • Less pain after surgery
  • Faster recovery

What surgeries are performed?

  • Removal of prostate due to a tumor (robot-assisted radical prostatectomy)
  • Removal of a tumor from a kidney (robot-assisted partial nephrectomy)
  • Surgery of renal pelvis due to a urine drainage disorder (robot-assisted pyeloplasty)

Which patients are eligible for robotic surgery?

Every patient who requires any of the above surgeries has to undergo an assessment of their overall health condition and related diseases. The most suitable type of operation is recommended based on this information. We also perform robotic surgeries in children (robot-assisted pyeloplasty). The decisive factor in children is their age, they have to be older than 8 – 10 years.

Robotic Surgery