Only at Lee Health: Next-Gen Robotic System for Urology Cancer Patients

Scars are a normal part of the body’s healing process. In surgical procedures, they form when new skin replaces skin opened by surgical incision. But not all surgery scars are created equal. The more noticeable and visible ones can leave some patients feeling not so good about themselves.

However, a new type of minimally invasive surgery technology is helping patients who have had urological surgery recover faster, with less pain, and feel better about themselves.

It’s the da Vinci Single Port (SP) Robotic Surgical System, the newest generation of robotic-assisted technology from the makers of the da Vinci Robotic Surgical Systems. The da Vinci SP allows urologic surgeons to perform complex urological procedures through a single one-inch incision, which reduces the visible effects of scarring after a urologic procedure.

Learn more about Lee Health’s innovative robotic program

Dr. Joseph Klink, a urologic oncologist with Lee Health Urology Surgery Center, has performed more than a thousand robotic surgeries. He says what makes the newer Vinci Robotic SP system from previous versions is that he can access the body through one incision—or a single port. Previous robotic systems were multiport, meaning they required three to five incisions through which the surgeon inserted instruments to perform the procedure. (Meet Dr. Klink here.)

“For patients who are eligible for SP technology, the least invasive approach typically yields the least amount of postoperative pain, reduces complications, shortens hospital stay, and increases patient satisfaction,” Dr. Klink says. “The incision is made near the navel, below the bikini line, which offers a cosmetic advantage.”

The result? In one published study, patients who underwent urologic oncology procedures using the da Vinci single-port (SP) robotic system perceived their results more favorably than those who received multiport surgery. That is, patients of the da Vinci Robotic SP system were more satisfied with how their scars looked and how they felt about themselves.

Dr. Klink and colleague Dr. Chase Cavayero are the only surgeons in Southwest Florida performing urologic cancer surgeries using this new system.

Read How the da Vinci Surgical System Works

At the Lee Health Urologic Surgical Center, our expert urologists perform minimally invasive surgeries for various conditions including kidney, prostate, bladder, and testicular cancers.

For a consultation or to make an appointment, call 239-343-9000.