Robotic Pediatric General Surgery: Advancing Care at Golisano Children's Hospital

Thanks to robotic-assisted surgery, Jasper Yates, 13, can enjoy his favorite foods again.

Robotic surgery, despite how the term sounds, doesn’t mean robots perform procedures on patients. Instead, it’s a technology-assisted procedure that allows Lee Health surgeons to perform delicate and precise surgeries with greater accuracy, flexibility, and precision. 

“Robotic-assisted surgery is probably a better, more precise term than robotic surgery,” says Dr. Michael Arnold, a pediatric surgeon with Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida. 

In robotic-assisted surgery, surgeons specially trained in the technology use small surgical tools attached to a robotic arm. Surgeons control the system and perform the procedure. 

“The surgeon sits at a console and controls all the movements of the robot,” Dr. Arnold explains. “So, there is no independent action of the robot. If they were to take their hands out of the robot or move their head away, the robot instantly stops where it is. This avoids any accidental motion.” 

WATCH: MEET DR. MICHAEL ARNOLD

A high-definition camera and precision tools allow surgeons to perform complex procedures with more accuracy and smaller incisions. Dr. Arnold says robotic surgery offers the ability to perform minimally invasive procedures that might otherwise require open surgery.

“Patients typically experience smaller scars, have shorter hospitalizations and a lower risk of side effects,” he says. “Minimally invasive procedures also offer faster overall recovery time, less pain, less blood loss, and help the patient return more quickly to normal activity.”

Extending robotic-assisted pediatric general surgery: A patient success story

“Lee Health has not only embraced robotic-assisted surgery but continues to expand its robotic-assisted program,” Dr. Arnold says. “At Golisano Children’s Hospital, pediatric robotic surgery has been applied in various pediatric surgical subspecialty cases, including urology, gastrointestinal surgery, and gynecology. And now we’re expanding it to pediatric general surgery as well.”

Earlier this year, Dr. Arnold treated 13-year-old Jasper Yates, a young teen from Gateway. When he was 12, Jasper developed achalasia, a rare disorder of the esophagus that affected his ability to eat and drink. A year later, the condition had worsened. For Jasper, eating had become a daily struggle. 

"When I was eating, the food would get stuck and sometimes I would have to throw it up,” Jasper recalls. “When it did go down, it would take 20 to 30 minutes. It was really tiring to eat that way."

The disorder caused him to lose 11 pounds within a year and drained his energy, affecting his ability to play baseball last fall and concentrate on his studies.

Marilu, his mother, says Jasper’s inability to finish his food “seemed to break his heart.”

That’s when she and her son sought answers from Dr. Arnold about treating Jasper’s disorder and restoring his quality of life.

WATCH HEALTH MATTERS: Dr. Arnold discusses pediatric robotic general surgery

Dr. Arnold recommended robotic surgery to perform a minimally invasive surgical procedure called a Heller myotomy (which involves cutting the muscles of the lower esophageal sphincter to allow food and liquids to pass more easily into the stomach). 

“Our consultation with Dr. Arnold was great,” Marilu recalls. “He spent over an hour with both Jasper and me, answering every single question that we could come up with. He treated my son with such respect. He explained the procedure to us. He really inspired us to have 100 percent confidence in his expertise."

Jasper seconds his mother: “I had that reassuring feeling that I was going to be okay.”

Surgery day, recovery, and results

Marilu says the communication efforts of the administrative, nursing, and surgical teams at the children’s hospital went a long way to easing her anxiety about her young son’s surgery.

“It's really neat because during his surgery, the hospital staff was communicating with me the entire time,” Marilu says. “During the surgery, I received text messages letting me know he was doing okay and that the surgery was going well. It was comforting to know that somebody's communicating with you.”

The surgery was a success, and Jasper's recovery was remarkably quick. He spent just one night at Golisano Children's Hospital, an experience he describes as feeling "like I was at a five-star hotel." 

Marilu remembers the first time Jasper was able to drink after the surgery. “Before his surgery, even drinking water was difficult for him. After we were discharged home from the hospital, I made him some liquid broth. His eyes lit up when he drank it.”

Within weeks, Jasper could eat solid foods again. "I ate cheeseburgers, I ate steak, and then it just started progressing from there."

He also confesses to pulling a sleight of hand with a bag of Doritos, a favorite family snack, when he returned home. “I hid them from everyone, and as soon as I could eat again, I just chowed them down. It was really fun,” he says, adding, “it was very satisfying!”

Now, Jasper is back to his regular life, playing guitar, attending school, and enjoying food without the struggle he once faced.

"Now that everything's back to normal, it's just really good," he says.

The impact of robotic surgery on patient care

Jasper's case highlights the significant impact that robotic surgery can have on patient outcomes and quality of life. By enabling minimally invasive procedures, robotic surgery often leads to faster recovery times, less pain, and fewer complications.

Dr. Arnold points out that this technology allows for surgeries that might not otherwise be possible through minimally invasive techniques.

"When surgeons can see better, when they can move better in a more natural way, when they can reach the structures easier than with conventional open surgery, I think the operations are safer," he notes.

Looking to the future

As robotic surgery continues to evolve and expand, it promises to open new possibilities in pediatric care, offering hope and healing to children and families facing complex medical challenges.

As Dr. Arnold continues to expand the use of robotic surgery in pediatric general surgery at Golisano Children's Hospital, more young patients like Jasper will have access to these advanced surgical techniques. This progress represents a significant step forward in pediatric care in Southwest Florida.

Marilu expresses her gratitude for having access to this technology close to home: "We are so beyond blessed to live here and to be able to go to Golisano's Children’s Hospital for Jasper’s procedure. It's right in our backyard. It's just awesome."

Golisano Children’s Hospital: Pediatric conditions with general surgery and services offered

Golisano Children's Hospital continues to push the envelope of what's possible in the field of pediatric general surgery. Our surgeons use the newest technology and minimally invasive procedures to make the prospect of surgery less scary to patients and their families. 

Lee Health Child Life Specialists in our Child Life program are specially trained to help infants, kids, and adolescents understand and cope with their medical treatment.

To learn more about the conditions we treat with general surgery, go here.