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PAMF Leads the Way in Robotic Surgery

Patients benefit from advanced skill-set, surgical innovation and proven leadership in minimally invasive surgery.

"What the Palo Alto Medical Foundation (PAMF) offers in robotic surgery is truly state of the art – you cannot get better surgical care anywhere else," said Keith Lee, M.D., PAMF Urology Department.

PAMF urologists remain at the forefront of robotic surgery and were the first to perform the following robotic surgery procedures at either Stanford University Medical Center or Sequoia Hospital:

The first bladder removal for cancer (cystoprostatectomy)
The first kidney tumor removal and repairing of the kidney defect (robotic partial nephrectomy)
The first selective bladder tumor removal (robotic partial cystectomy)
The first kidney removal (total nephrectomy) due to cancer in San Mateo County
The first female urinary incontinence repair (vesicovaginal fistula)

"We now use minimally invasive surgery (laparoscopy) for most kidney cases instead of traditional (open) surgery," said Dr. Lee. "With the robot, we can operate on more challenging cases without having to make an open incision." This is important because patients undergoing laparoscopic, robotic-assisted surgery typically have less pain, less blood loss, fewer complications, less scarring, a shorter hospital stay and a faster return to normal daily activities.

"Most of my patients who have had robotic-assisted surgeries have really been pleased with the results and how quickly they're able to recover and preserve the quality of life they had before surgery," said Dan Yao, M.D., PAMF Urology Department. "This could be the future of surgery."

"After surgery, we continue to have a fully-trained urologist taking care of the patient," said Dr. Lee. "With PAMF, patients and families do not have to worry about surgical trainees making mistakes during shift changes, as they might elsewhere. This is another benefit of PAMF – you really are treated first class all the way – your doctor is always there. You get the best of academic medicine and technological advances – all delivered with a personalized touch."

PAMF urologists currently perform their robotic surgeries using the da Vinci Surgical System at Sequoia Hospital in Redwood City, Stanford University Hospital in Palo Alto, El Camino Hospital in Mountain View and Dominican Hospital in Santa Cruz. When PAMF's new San Carlos Center opens, it will include a dedicated da Vinci Surgical System.