Updates

Robotic Surgery Program

Robotic surgery using the da Vinci® Surgical System from Intuitive Surgical allows the pediatric robotic surgeons at Texas Children’s to perform minimally invasive reconstructive procedures in children. The 3-D visualization, intuitive computer-enhanced motion control, smaller instruments and increased range of motion allow for delicate surgical procedures in children to be performed with tiny “keyhole” incisions.


Robotic surgery is most often used for:

  • Ureteropelvic junction (UPJ) obstruction/hydronephrosis – pyeloplasty
  • Vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) – ureteral reimplantation
  • Kidney removal (nephrectomy)
  • Kidney reconstructive surgery, including partial nephrectomy
  • Ureter reconstructive surgery
  • Bladder reconstructive surgery
  • Cholecystectomy – gallbladder removal
  • Nissen fundoplication – esophageal reflux surgery
  • Pelvic organ removal and reconstruction

The benefits of robotic surgery include:

  • Smaller incisions
  • Shorter hospital stays
  • Decreased postoperative pain medication requirements
  • Smaller scars and improved cosmetic appearance after surgery

Texas Children's ranks among the highest in annual pediatric robotic surgery volumes in the U.S.

Families usually prefer minimally invasive surgery because patients often go home sooner than with open surgery (usually after one night) and use less pain medications than children who underwent conventional open surgery, as well as have smaller scars.

The program also serves as a pediatric robotic surgery research and training center for pediatric surgical specialists. Please contact Chester Koh, MD, for further information.

The Pediatric Robotic Surgery Program is led by Dr. Koh, Director of the Pediatric Robotic Surgery Program at Texas Children’s Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine with support from Sarah Phillips, PA-C and Jacqueline Guarino Broda, PA-C.