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Daniel Eun, MD, Vice Chief of Robotic Surgery, Performs Nation's First Single Incision, Robotic-Assisted Kidney Repair of its Kind
A surgical team at Temple University Hospital performed the nation's first robotic-assisted repair of an obstructed kidney using a surgical system that is specifically designed to operate through a single, small incision at the patient's belly button.
Daniel Eun, MD, Temple University Hospital's Vice Chief of Robotic Surgery and Director of Minimally Invasive Robotic Urological Oncology, performed the surgery on a 47-year-old financial analyst from Bala Cynwyd, who suffered from ureteropelvic junction (UPJ) obstruction – a painful blockage of the drainage system that transmits urine from the kidney to the bladder. The surgery occurred on Thursday, April 19, 2012.
Dr. Eun performed a surgical procedure known as pyeloplasty, which is the treatment of an obstruction by reconstructing the connection between the healthy part of the kidney and the ureter – the narrow tube that carry urine to the bladder. Pyeloplasty is a technically challenging type of surgery, requiring the surgeon to make incisions in, perform the operation on, and apply sutures to very tiny structures in the body.
Traditional robotic surgical techniques (whereby miniature surgical instruments and cameras are placed through small incisions in the patient’s body and manipulated remotely by a skilled surgeon) typically require three to five abdominal incisions ranging in size from ¼ to ½ inches. Although urologists who are skilled in robotic surgery have done single-incision robotic pyeloplasty using the standard set-up of the robot which usually requires multiple ports (and therefore multiple incisions), they have encountered technical challenges because the robot wasn't designed to perform the operation through a single incision, explains Dr. Eun.
"My surgical team and I were able to perform this delicate pyeloplasty procedure – removing the blocked section of the kidney and repairing its drainage system – through a single, small incision using a brand-new operating platform for Temple University Hospital's da Vinci® surgical robot that is specially-designed for single-incision robotic surgery," says Dr. Eun.
"Minimizing the size and number of incisions may improve a patient's recovery and decrease pain after surgery. Using a platform that improves the surgeon's ability to manipulate the instruments with greater range of motion through that single incision truly brings the greatest benefits to patients," Dr. Eun explains.
The patient had the operation on a Thursday and was back at work on Monday without even needing aspirin.
Dr. Eun is an expert in complex minimally invasive and reconstructive surgeries involving cancer of the prostate, kidneys, adrenal glands, testes, bladder and ureters.
Note: Dr. Eun receives nominal honoraria from Intuitive Surgical (the company that manufactures the da Vinci® Surgical System) for occasional educational activities.
For more information or to schedule an appointment with a Temple urologist, call 1-800-TEMPLE-MED (1-800-836-7536).
Date Published: Friday, May 04, 2012
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