Pioneering Robotic Surgery

Advanced robotic technology for a range of procedures, delivering precise, personalized and safe surgeries.

Robotic Surgery Program

Robotic surgery is the use of medical robots, controlled by a surgeon, to carry out surgical procedures. Robotic surgery allows the most intricate operations to be performed in minimally invasive ways, transforming the way that surgeons can carry out complex surgeries. And because the operations are less invasive, they have fewer complications associated with them.

Systems such as the da Vinci robot used at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi don’t replace the role of the surgeon but enhance their skills. Similar to laparoscopic surgery, in which smaller incisions, a camera, and surgical instruments are used, robotic surgery uses robotic arms to hold tiny instruments, acting as an extension of the surgeon. The surgeon sits at a computer console and guides the surgical robot via a control system, viewing the procedure in magnified, high-definition 3D images with increased vision and precision inside the body.

Robotic surgery offers many benefits over traditional, open surgery, allowing procedures to be performed with more control, precision, and flexibility, and offering better outcomes for patients. Learn more about the benefits of robotic surgery.

Discover More About Robotic Surgery Program

Robotic Expertise
Frequently Asked Questions

Robotic Expertise

Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi is home to one of the region’s leading Robotic Surgery Programs. The program allows the use of robotic surgery for procedures which previously would have involved open surgery and larger incisions, such as major cancer surgery, transplant surgery, weight loss surgery, complex abdominal wall reconstruction (hernias), and many others.

Led by global experts in the field of robotic surgery, the program offers a wide range of state-of-the-art procedures across many specialties, including:

Complex hernia repairs: Including inguinal, ventral/incisional, and umbilical hernia repairs.
Gastrointestinal surgeries:
- Colorectal surgeries, such as colectomy (left colectomy, sigmoid colectomy, right colectomy), proctectomy, proctosigmoidectomy, small bowel resection, and rectal prolapse surgeries.
- Bariatric surgeries, such as sleeve gastrectomy, bypass surgery, and gastric restrictive surgeries.
Urologic surgeries: Including nephrectomies (partial, radical), pyeloplasty, ureteral reimplantation, and prostatectomy.
Gynecologic surgeries: Including sacrocolpopexy and total hysterectomy.
Hepatopancreatobiliary (HPB) surgeries: Including partial hepatectomy, distal/subtotal pancreatectomy, bile duct reconstruction, Whipple procedure and enucleation of pancreatic mass.
Transplant and donor surgeries: Including renal allotransplantation (graft implantation) and recipient and donor nephrectomy.
Oncologic and complex procedures: Including pelvic exenteration, and procedures for advanced or recurrent cancers.
Adrenal and endocrine surgeries: Including adrenalectomy and related procedures.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who performs robotic surgery?

During robotic surgery, a surgeon is in control the entire time, with the surgical robot acting as an extension of the surgeon. Very precise instruments and a detailed camera are controlled using robotic arms and guided via a control system.

Can any doctor perform robotic surgery?

Only surgeons with specialized training in robotic surgery are certified to perform these procedures. The Robotic Surgery Program at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi consists of experts from around the world who bring a vast range of expertise, knowledge and technical experience. Our teams are pioneers of robotic surgery in the UAE, having used the system for a range of procedures since 2015.

How does robotic surgical equipment work?

During robotic surgery, one doctor will stay at the patient’s bedside while the surgeon moves to a control room. From there, the surgeon will use a computer console to control very precise instruments using robotic arms. Four arms are in operation simultaneously, using hand and foot outputs, one with a camera, two acting as the surgeon’s hands and one to assist.

The automated surgery can be performed through much smaller incisions, with the camera providing a highly magnified, high-definition real-time view of the surgical area.

Is robotic surgery safe?

Robotic surgery is safe and is associated with better clinical outcomes. It offers minimally invasive techniques which means there is a reduced risk of complications that can arise from traditional surgery. Incision sites are smaller, reducing the risk of infection, and it is associated with less pain, less blood loss and shorter recovery times.

Is robotic surgery right for me?

The application of robotic surgery is broad, and includes utility in digestive diseases, lung and chest conditions, benign and malignant abdominal surgery, bariatric, urological, colorectal surgeries, transplant and donor surgeries, and gynecological services.